Everything Has Changed
by JJ Twi1ight
Summary: When Sam imprints on Emily, everything in her life changes. Everyone assumed it was for the better, but maybe it wasn't. What happens when a rebellious wolf decides to do the unthinkable and steals his alpha's imprint? Jacob's pursuit of Emily changes everything once again.
1. Prolog

**Everything Has Changed**

Prolog

Jake walked half-way home when he first saw Sam, standing a small distance away within the trees. The older man looked to be expecting Jake, like he had heard him coming. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he silently measured the teenager from afar.

 _Yes,_ _I_ _keep_ _growing,_ _get_ _over_ _it,_ Jake thought to himself.

Sam took a couple of steps forward and opened his mouth like he was going to say something, however the glare that was plastered to Jake's face seemed to make him change his mind.

Jake picked up the pace, deciding that maybe a run home would do him some good. When he entered his house, Billy sat in his wheelchair inside the living room. Jake must've had the irritation clearly written on his face.

"Hey Son, bad day today?" Billy asked.

"Not the whole day, just the return home. There is something about Sam that just irritates."

"Why is that?"

"Well, on some days he just seems like he thinks he is better than everyone else. Then on other days it seems like he watches me like he knows my next move even before I do. It's creepy as hell and I don't like it!" Jake marched to his room to place his backpack down and to be able to breathe normally again. He heard his father's chair following him down the hall.

"It's nothing you need to worry about now, Jacob. In a few years if you don't . . . well, I'll explain later." Billy grimaced like he wanted to say more, but it wasn't the right time.

"Well, whatever Dad." It wasn't really his father he was angry at, needing some time to himself. "I've got homework that will keep me in here the rest of the evening. Let me know if you need me for anything."

* * *

It was third period before Jake realized that he had not really looked at anyone in the eyes, not even Quil who sat right next to him. Suddenly he felt the sharp corner of a piece of paper poking into his rib.

"Ouch," Jake whispered, giving Quil an irritated look.

"Just take it."

"What is this third grade?"

"Yes, now check yes, or no."

Jake had to stifle the chuckle as he opened the note.

 ** _Did you see Embry is here?_**

 _What? How did I miss that Embry was back?_

 ** _No._** Jake scrawled back.

Quil nodded his head to the back right corner and Jake felt like his eyes were going to pop out of his head.

Embry barely looked like the same guy, wearing a t-shirt that stretched to the max over his massive chest. He wore a pair of cut off jean shorts and tennis shoes, but no socks, and he made the desk look like doll furniture. Jake had to admit that the desks were annoying and wondered if he got much bigger if he was going to fit.

As soon as the bell rang Jake jumped to his feet and walked right up to Embry.

"Hey, man."

"Hey," Embry said and picked up his book and quickly walked out.

"What's the hurry?"

"I can't talk to you," Embry replied.

"Embry, I'm your best friend. What is going on?"

"Just drop it, Jake." He scowled.

"What, are you afraid Sam might see you talking to me?" Jake taunted.

"It's none of your business. Just leave me alone, Jacob." He turned his back to Jake and walked out the emergency-exit door.

 _Jacob, I had not been "Jacob" to him in years._ All his friends called him Jake.

Embry's reaction made him angry so Jake almost followed him out.

Instead, he felt a hand grab his shoulder. "That is not a good idea. I'll handle it," Paul said with a mean scowl on his face.

"Why? As of a week ago you barely knew each other," Jacob challenged as confusion, hurt and anger mixed together to form a dangerous combination.

"Well, things change," Paul said. "I'm sure you will figure that out for yourself." He mumbled in such a low voice, Jake didn't think he was supposed to hear.

"What does that mean?" Jake asked, feeling furious.

"It's nothing for you to worry about now." With that Paul went out the same exit door running to the woods nearby. Those were the same words that Jake's father had said to him last time he had tried to talk to him and it fueled the burning inside of his chest.

The storm outside continued to rage throughout the day and Jake's irritation continued to fester. He returned home in the exact same condition he arrived at school, soaking wet and crabby. He walked in the door, slamming it behind him.

"Hey Son, we've only got the one door, lets keep it that way."

"Bite me!"

"Now come on, what's going on?"

"My life sucks," Jake said as he went to his room, throwing his backpack on the floor.

Billy rolled down the hall following him. "Don't you think that you are being a little dramatic."

"No."

"You know you can tell me anything right," Billy paused. "Is it something with Bella?"

"No, Bella is the only good thing in my life right now." Jake took a deep breath, he never liked to fight with his dad. "It's Embry. He returned to school, but whatever the hell Sam did to him it seemed to have fried his brain."

"It's not Sam," Billy countered.

"Don't you dare defend Sam to me!" Jake yelled. "Not only does he have to creep the living daylights out of me, but he has to warp the mind of my friend." Jake walked to the other side of his room, needing some distance. "You can't tell me Sam has nothing to do with this, Embry has not left his side in days." Jake knew that he shouldn't be taking his frustration out on his dad, but Billy wasn't exactly helping himself either.

Billy looked down with hurt in his eyes. Jake could tell that there was more to it, but he didn't know why his father couldn't tell him. "Look Dad, you let me know when you can tell me what's really going on, until then I'm going for a walk."

* * *

It seemed in record time Bella arrived at Jake's house and he quickly loaded the bikes into her truck. They were on the road heading to a secluded portion of the beach where he knew it would be safe and in no danger of Charlie finding out. Jake was in his own little world, telling Bella about the finishing touches to her bike, when suddenly Bella slammed on the break and screamed "No!"

Jake seriously thought he was going to have a heart attack. "What's wrong?"

"That guy—he just jumped off the cliff! Why didn't they stop him? We've got to call an ambulance!" She threw open her door and bolted out of the truck.

Jake felt so relieved that a nervous laugh spilled out of his mouth, which clearly she did not appreciate. "They're just cliff diving, Bella. Recreation. La Push doesn't have a mall, you know." He looked over at the cliff and immediately could tell who the people were.

It bothered Jake that Sam could irritate him without even trying nowadays and told her about Sam's gang as they got back in the truck and started towards the beach. Even with Bella, Jake could feel the anger rising in his chest, it was a small burning sensation almost like heartburn. Today was not a good day to be sick and Jake clenched his fists trying to control his emotions.

Jake made himself pay attention until they came to a stop. Jake went around to the back to unload the bikes. He wanted to move past Sam and the issues he had with him. He lifted her red bike out and leaned it towards her.

"Happy late birthday. Are you ready for this?"

"I think so," she said with fear in her eyes.

"We'll take it slow," Jake promised. He walked back to the truck and lowered his own large black one out and leaned it against the fender.

"Jake . . ."

"Yeah?"

"What's really bothering you? About the Sam thing, I mean? Is there something else?"

Jake grimaced, he wasn't angry, but it felt awkward to talk about. So he took a deep breath, sighed and then Jake just couldn't figure out how to shut up. He told her all about how Sam was treating him, and even how he missed Embry and was hurt that his friend seemed to be ignoring him. Despite Jake's rambling he could tell that she took his concerns seriously. It was amazing, like she really understood the struggles he had with Sam, Embry and 'the gang'. It was so meaningful to him that Jake could feel himself start to cry.

He desperately did not want to cry in front of Bella. And suddenly her arms were wrapped around his waist. "Oh, Jake, it'll be okay!" She promised. "If it gets worse, you can come live with me and Charlie. Don't be scared, we'll think of something!"

 _Holy cow! Did Bella just suggest that I move in with her?_ Jake felt so shocked he couldn't move to save his life. Then slowly his brain remembered how to move his arms and he wrapped his arms around her. "Thanks, Bella."

* * *

Soon Bella arrived, and to his surprise had a new map with her, and what looked like brand new hiking boots. Jake grabbed the map and immediately started drawing the grid pattern, the last thing he needed was for them to get lost in the woods. It was supposed to be their safer activity, and he planned to make sure it stayed that way. It didn't take long and soon they were ready to go.

They walked to the truck and Jake felt excited to be doing something new with Bella. It seemed like no time at all and she stopped her truck. There was a clearly marked trail not far and Jake naturally assumed that would be where they would start from and found the location on his map.

"I went this way," she murmured, pointing directly in front of where they had parked.

"Hmm," well that was certainly surprising.

"What?"

Jake looked over at the trail and back. "I would have figured you for a trail kind of girl."

"Not me." She smiled, "I'm a rebel."

Jake laughed and readjusted my map and made sure the compass needle lined up perfectly. Embry and Jake each received compasses for their 12th birthdays and spent the next several months exploring. Once Jake even made a map for him, that was supposed to lead them to hidden treasure, but really just ended up at an old pond.

It was really pleasant walking with Bella. The ground crunched loudly under their feet from leaves and rocks, and the greenery of the Fir and Pine trees added to the woodsy look and smell. It was beautiful around here, and Jake appreciated the wildlife that surrounded them as well.

"Hey . . . Jake? She asked hesitantly.

"Yeah?" He questioned not really sure where she was going with this.

"How are things . . . with Embry? Is he back to normal yet?"

Embry was a rough spot for him and Jake didn't know what to say. So he paused and let her catch up.

"No. He's not back to normal," Jake couldn't keep the frown off his face.

"Still with Sam."

"Yep." He remembered the last time she had asked him about this and how she had suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist. It wasn't the same, but felt like he needed some physical contact so Jake wrapped one arm around her shoulder.

"Are they still looking at you funny?" she half-whispered.

"Sometimes," Jake answered, while avoiding eye contact with her. She was hitting all the areas that he currently struggled with and tried not to think about.

"And Billy?"

"As helpful as ever." Jake just couldn't figure out why Billy was being so evasive with him.

"Our couch is always open," she offered.

This was the second time she had offered for Jake to come stay with her. It made him wonder if maybe she was thinking about the amazing hug they had shared. The thought seemed to break him out of the gloom he had been in and he laughed. "But think of the position that would put Charlie in when Billy calls the police to report my kidnapping."

She laughed as well and his legs remembered how to move so they started walking. At six miles they headed west and started down another of his grid lines. The terrain was not the easiest to walk in, they had to go around trees and rocks, and Jake would offer his hand to help Bella over large fallen trees. She would smile in appreciation and Jake felt a little disappointment each time her tiny hand left his.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Jacob and Emily, an odd pairing right? LOL, I was inspired by the pair when I wrote Jacob's NM and Bella's Sun, I felt like Jacob and Emily have a beautiful friendship. I have always secretly wondered if there could be more there. So this is my challenge to myself to see if I can make it happen. :)

Obviously this is a complicated story and when I wrote it, I wasn't sure where it would go, but it is now finished and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I hope you enjoy it as well. I am also a published author with my first original work launching August 2nd. It is called Poisoned, and can be found on Amazon or my website JJLiniger dot com.

Thanks,

JJ


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Jake had one of the strangest movie experiences of his life. It wasn't a date with Bella because Mike made sure of that. But the way Jake and Bella laughed together made it feel special. Despite all the time spent with Bella he still felt nervous and it seemed that it was making his heat worsen. He frowned and nibbled his lip as Bella opened the door to get out of his Rabbit. There was more he needed to say, and he had to bite the bullet and do it. Jake reached out and grabbed her wrist, just enough to keep her with him.

"What is it, Jake?"

"There's something I want to tell you, Bella . . . but I think it's going to sound kind of corny."

She sighed. "Go ahead."

Before Jake lost his courage, he stated quickly. "It's just that, I know how you're unhappy a lot. And, maybe it doesn't help anything, but I wanted you to know that I'm always here. I won't ever let you down—I promise that you can always count on me." He took a breath, hoping that didn't sound as stupid to her and it did to him. "Wow, that does sound corny. But you know that, right? That I would never, ever hurt you?"

"Yeah, Jake. I know that. And I already do count on you, probably more than you know."

A smile stretched across his face that would only be for Bella. Her words were perfection, exactly what he needed to hear. He felt relieved until, Jake saw the regret she tried to mask flash across her face. His emotions jumped to anger and something inside of him ordered him to leave.

"I really think I'd better go home now."

Bella bolted from his car. "Call me!" She yelled as Jake pulled the car away from her house.

Jake knew Bella's greatest fear was that he would leave her. He had Edward to thank for that. When the Cullens first left, Jake didn't understand why everyone around him celebrated. They had bonfires every night for a whole week. He thought back to the night that Charlie had called asking his dad for help because Bella went missing.

A blaring horn brought Jake back to the present and to his side of the road. It was his fault, and he deserved to be honked at, but it fueled his anger. Jake suddenly hated Edward with a passion that he had never experienced before.

Edward had made Bella love him when Jake couldn't! Edward had gained her trust when Jake couldn't! Edward had left her, and Jake was suffering the consequences that should have been his! Edward destroyed her!

With a vengeance Jake's foot slammed on the gas and he went faster than he had ever gone before. Within minutes, Jake was home. He parked the car, slamming the door behind him. The car rocked from the force. Jake felt his hands shake. With long steps, he reached the front door. Unknowingly, he bent the metal in his fist as he opened the door and slammed it as well. The house shook from the force.

"Jacob Black! Don't you dare take your frustrations out on this house!" Billy said from the living room.

"Dad, now is really NOT a good time!" Jake didn't look at him as he stormed down the hall towards his room.

"Son, you look at me when I am talking to you," Billy yelled.

Jake turned around quickly, returning to the living room. As he entered the room, his anger rose to the point he couldn't see straight. Jake looked his dad directly in the eyes and Billy immediately backed up into the kitchen.

"Jacob, please calm down. You are overreacting. Did something happen? You don't look so good?" Billy rambled, while he continued to back up.

Billy was the one who wanted to press the issue tonight, of all nights, and NOW he was retreating. Jake didn't think so.

Being _this_ frustrated was over the top and irrational, but he couldn't stop it. He wanted to respond to Billy's questions and be able to explain himself, but nothing made any sense.

Jake tried to take another step closer, and it felt like all the muscles in his body started contracting. He felt his arms and legs shake uncontrollably. Had Jake not known he was in perfect health, he would have thought that he was having some sort of seizure.

Fear gripped him and Jake looked to his dad seeing equal fear all across his face. Jake didn't want his fear, he wanted his help. Never in Jake's life would he ever hurt his dad and seeing his father's fear added fuel to his already heated emotions.

Jake reached his hands out, grabbing his head. It hurt, not like a headache, but more from information overload. It felt like his brain was trying to teach him a new trick and he couldn't understand, like someone spoke a foreign language to him, but expected him to know every word perfectly.

Suddenly, all oxygen left his lungs as Jake screamed like he had never screamed before. Heat soared through every crevice of his body and he thought he was going to burst into flames. Then in a split second his head hit the ceiling of their house and his screams had turned into a fierce roar.

 _What the hell just happened?_ He wanted to yell, but instead one long howl escaped from his lips.

If Jake thought his dad looked scared before it was nothing compared to the complete terror that was on his face now. But despite the terror there was no shock.

 _Was he expecting this!?_

Billy turned his chair and grabbed the phone resting on the kitchen counter. He just about jumped out of his skin when it rang.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Billy, it's me, Bella—did Jake make it home yet? He left here about twenty minutes ago." Jake felt surprised he could hear Bella's voice perfectly through the phone. It was wonderful to hear, making him want her more.

Billy told Bella that Jake couldn't talk right now, explaining that he wasn't feeling very well, and would call her if they needed anything. He epmhases for her to stay away and wait for someone to call her.

Jake wanted to talk to her. He reached out to Billy. As he moved his hand, instead a large paw moved. Quickly his dad displaced his chair further back to not be hit.

At that moment Jake looked down and saw massive amounts of fur and four legs under him. Jake panicked and started moving around in circles, knocking over the kitchen chairs and almost broke the table in half.

Billy had a death grip on the phone and started dialing like his life depended on it. Jake heard it ring five times and with each ring he could see the anxiety increase on his dad's face.

"Hello," a female said.

"I need Sam! Tell me he's there," Billy pleaded.

At the mention of Sam's name Jake felt the growl that developed deep in his chest escape from his mouth. At the same time his lips moved back, exposing his razor sharp teeth. Sam had been stalking him for weeks. Everywhere Jacob looked Sam was lurking in the distance. It creeped him out and annoyed the hell out of him. Not to mention, he somehow got Embry to join his sick cult.

He heard the woman call to Sam and the shuffling of small feet, she must be running.

"Billy, are you okay?" Sam asked.

"Yes," Billy took a deep breath. "I don't know what to do." His voice shook with fear.

"Where is he?"

"In my kitchen."

"Have you spoken to him?"

"No."

"He is still your son, he will understand you. Try to get him to go outside and I'll send Embry over."

"Thank you." Billy hung up, and took a needed breath.

At the mention of Embry, Jake relaxed, and the growling stopped. But he still did not understand what had happened to him. The cult. Was he in it now?

"Jake, are you ok?" Billy asked, his voice smooth like speaking to a small child.

Apparently asking stupid questions was a genetic trait. Jake didn't know how to answer, but he figured that he could move his head, so he shook it right to left.

"Are you hurting?"

To his surprise, he wasn't, and shook his head again.

"I need you to come outside."

Jake turned to the door. Suddenly, he heard voices. He turned his large head around trying to find who was speaking.

"Son, you are hearing the wolf pack. They will help you from here," Billy said.

 _The wolf pack! You mean there are more of us?_

Billy opened the door and Jake pushed the screen door with his snout, squeezing his large shoulders through the door frame. With each step Jake took the ground shook.

It wasn't long before the different voices in his head seemed to lose some of the clutter and Jake could distinguish one speaker from another.

Sam directed the others, it was wise of him to not speak to Jake. Then both Paul and Jared made their introductions. It wasn't like he didn't know who they were, but they seemed like different people now. Then his lifeline spoke and he was never more glad to hear Embry's voice.

 _Hey man! Good to see you again,_ Embry said.

They met together in the trees just past Jake's garage and indicated for him to follow them to a more private area so that they could fill him in on the details on what was now to be his life.

Between Paul, Jared, and Embry, they explained to Jake that the legends were true. They weren't a gang like he had once thought, but werewolves and together they protected their tribe from all threats, but more specifically from vampires.

It was then Jake realized what the Cullen family were, and he hated them all the more.

Jake couldn't believe that his Bella had fallen in love with a vampire, not really just one, but a whole coven of them. He refused to believe that she actually understood what they were.

 _That's not true, Jacob,_ Sam said, interrupting Jake's thought.

 _You don't even know her, Sam._ Jacob glared back at him, instinctively circling towards him.

 _I don't have to know her. Your father told me that he tried to warn her and she made it clear to him that she didn't need his advice and that he should mind his own business. Your father was quite confident Bella knew exactly what monsters she was dealing with. She's lucky that leaving her lost in the woods is all that filthy bloodsucker did to her._ Sam countered.

A furious growl erupted from Jake's throat as his body lunged towards Sam. He was going to tear him to shreds and even heard the satisfying crack of bone splintering.

The searing pain in his own shoulder registered that it had been Paul who, while protecting his alpha, had charged into Jacob's shoulder.

Jake laid whimpering on his side as Embry leaped to protect his best friend. _Sam! Do something!_

Sam's lips were back exposing his razor sharp teeth. He felt a righteous anger at Jacob for attacking him and at Embry for challenging his leadership. As much as he didn't want them to see it, he knew that they were right and he should have stopped Paul.

 _Stand down!_ Sam ordered Paul.

Paul stomped his paws against the hard dirt, and let out an exasperated howl.

Then Sam lowered his head to Jacob, who laid on the ground. _Let that be a warning to you Black. Do not underestimate me again!_

Jake was convinced that none of them knew Bella like he did, even Sam. Regardless of whether she knew they were vampires she had still grieved over them. It made Jake sick to know that she could have lost her life so easily to any of them.

If Jake thought his head hurt before he phased it was nothing compared to the massive amount of information he received afterwards. As Jake laid in the dirt, his pack mates let him into their minds, seeing their memories. He learned the process of phasing back and forth. It seemed extremely complicated, and it didn't surprise him that it often took new wolves days or even weeks to figure it out for the first time.

They had to use their mind to take the raging heat and focus it back inwards. It was similar to a pop-up book and all the pieces had to bend properly so that it could close and reopen again without tearing the design.

Jake went to his usual happy place and began to think of Bella and felt the pieces of his body shifting and resizing down to his human self. In an instant, he was naked and groaned, feeling the pain in his shoulder. Except it wasn't just his shoulder that hurt, all his muscles had been stretched beyond anything close to normal and he couldn't walk.

He didn't know exactly how being a werewolf was going to affect his relationship with Bella, but he knew it couldn't be good. He was a monster, and he hated it.

It took Sam, Embry, and Jared a moment to phase back because they were shocked Jake was able to do so.

"Take him back to mine and Emily's place," Sam ordered.

"Are you sure he is safe?" Jared asked cautiously.

Jake remembered seeing Paul and Embry phasing suddenly. It took them both weeks to be able to maintain their shape and even after months Paul was still quite unstable.

Sam growled. "I would never put her in danger again. Emily will know to be careful."

"I can stay with him," Embry volunteered.

"No, I need you to go back to Billy. Let him know that Jacob is fine," Sam instructed.

Embry nodded and ran back to the Black's home. Paul, Jared and Sam put on their shorts and lifted Jake back to Emily's house. Every part of Jake's body hurt as he moaned and gritted his teeth as they carried him inside.

His eyes were clouded with tears and his eyelids felt heavy. He heard muffled sounds and felt what had to be the mattress of a soft bed before his eyes rolled into his head and he passed out.

 **Author Note:** I hope you are enjoying the story. Check out my first novel at JJLiniger dot com.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Jake had more dreams than he had ever had in his life. Sometimes there were images from the other night of Paul's or Jared's first phase or them together chasing some leech with blazing red hair. Other times, it was of Bella and himself riding their bikes or walking in the woods. He knew he was dreaming when he saw Bella riding the back of a large reddish-brown wolf.

When Jake slowly opened his eyes, he had the strangest sense of déjà vu, the sun was in the exact same place from when his eyes closed, the day before. It felt like so much longer than a day had passed. He had never slept for 24 hours before, but that was the only logical solution.

He reached out his arms and legs and felt like he was going to die. The muscles had been so stretched that they felt like he had run a marathon without any training, and his entire body seemed like one huge cramp.

"Ooh . . ." escaped his trembling lips.

"Don't try to move," Jake heard, but didn't recognize the voice. It sounded soft and peaceful, almost angelic. Despite being told not to move, his curiosity got the better of him and he slowly bobbed his head in search of the calming voice.

He saw a woman with thick black hair that hung down into her face. Her skin appeared slightly lighter than his own, but still kissed by the sun. She held a wooden tray in her slender arms.

For a moment, he thought she might be smirking about something with one side of her lip curled. He followed the slight imperfection to a scar on her cheek that could have continued, but was covered by her long tresses. It made him wonder what was hiding beneath her hair.

"Give me just a minute and I'll help you to sit up," she continued.

 _Help me? Why do I need help?_ Jake wondered to himself.

She set the tray next to the bed and Jake ran his fingers over the native quilt that covered his body. Everything from the day before seemed to be a blur, and he wondered if becoming a werewolf was maybe a dream. He looked at his bare shoulder and saw deep purple bruises where his shoulder bone had been crushed from Paul's impact. It wasn't a dream. He really did change into a beast with four legs and a tail.

 _I need to get out of here!_

Jake pulled his legs over the edge of the bed and tried to sit up. The blankets were bunched in his lap and it took him a lot longer than it should have to realize he wasn't wearing any clothes. Immediately, he tried to cover himself back up, but his muscles were so worn out that they might as well have been made of jello. He slumped over face first into the pillow.

The woman stifled a giggle, but his sensitive wolf ears heard it loud and clear. She reached over and grabbed his shoulders, pulling Jake up to a sitting position. He was like an overgrown infant who had no control over his movements. She pushed his shoulders so that his back rested against the wall.

"Where am I?" Jake asked.

"You are at my house. My name's Emily," she said, watching him closely.

"Emily," he repeated out-loud. He remembered Sam mentioning her name, and he glared thinking about him.

Her sudden movement away startled him and he saw fear in her eyes. First his father and now her, everyone seemed to be scared of him. He felt the irritation, wash over his body and small tremors in its wake.

"Calm down, Jacob. Please," she said, still standing at a distance. "I have some food and drink for you, but I can't help you unless you are calm."

Jake nodded and closed his eyes taking a deep breath. The tremors dissipated and he felt blanketed by his own heat. With his eyes still closed, he felt the tray be placed in his lap. The quilt covered most of his skin, and he opened his eyes.

On the tray sat a large bowl of oatmeal and blueberries, a glass of cold milk, and a banana-bread muffin.

"Thank you," Jake told her and lifted his hand to eat. His movements were slow and at times, his hand would shake, the muscles weak and uncoordinated.

"You're welcome. Would you like help?" Emily asked.

Jake felt torn between wanting to do it himself, it was simple, and feeling so starving that he thought he might actually eat the bowl as well. "Hm, sure," he finally answered.

Emily sat down on the edge of the bed and lifted the spoon to his mouth. Jake ate quickly, and she struggled to feed him fast enough. He didn't slow down until after he finished the third bowl of oatmeal, had six muffins, and drank a whole gallon of milk.

"You ready to stand?" Emily asked.

"Well, uh, where are my clothes?" Jake asked, a blush spreading across his cheeks.

"I assume you shredded them. Don't tell Sam, but your's won't be the first birthday suit I've seen. Jared and Embry both stayed here for weeks afterwards, and Paul wolfed out more than should be humanly possible, and keeping him dressed was getting expensive..."

"Your secret is safe with me," Jake said seriously. He didn't know why she didn't want Sam to know, but Jake wanted as limited contact with Sam as he could manage. "How are you so certain that he won't come back and catch us?"

"There was another sighting of the Red Head. It will be hours, it always is," she answered.

Jake saw the worry on her face and he could tell she cared and maybe even loved Sam. The Blacks and Clearwaters were close, therefore Jake knew Sam had called off his engagement to Leah to be with another woman. At the time, he hadn't paid close enough attention to remember her name or even how Sam had met her. Jake thought it strange how his father and Leah's parents supported Sam's decision.

Emily moved around in front of him and took the tray, disappearing into the other room. Jake assumed that she took it to the kitchen since it was the same place she went to when getting him more breakfast. She came back and placed her hands under each of Jake's elbows, taking all his weight as he tried to stand. To say he was surprised that she could keep him from falling, would have been an extreme understatement.

"Holy cow, woman," he mumbled.

"Told you," she said with a prideful smirk. Her biceps showed her strong muscles as she flexed against his heavyweight, but yet she still appeared smooth and womanly. Her strength added to her natural femininity, making her even more attractive.

With help, Jake made it to the bathroom, and then landed back on the bed, the small amount of movement tiring him out. He released a deep sigh. "I feel like a wuss."

"No, it's like this for them all. You are actually doing better than all three of them combined."

"Really?" Jake said, feeling a moment of pride, which was quickly swallowed by a long yawn, followed by a sleepy smile. With a full belly, he knew that he would be passed out within minutes.

"Yes, take care Jacob," she said and closed the door behind her.

Jake's eyes closed at the same time and he slept just as hard as he had the first time.

* * *

He assumed that when he awakened again, it would be in a calm and quiet house and by the same sweet tranquil voice that he had earlier, but he was badly mistaken. He heard a strange buzzing sound and felt the vibrations stroke over the top of his scalp.

 _What was that?_ Jake wondered. _Ouch!_ he added as he felt something yank painfully on his long hair.

After another strange, vibrating migration over his head, he felt long loose strands over his back and knew instantly what was happening.

"NO!" Jake yelled, knocking the hand holding the offending hair clippers away from his head. He looked around the bed at the discarded chunks of his hair. "What the hell are you doing?"

"It's for your own good, Jacob," Sam reasoned. "You can't phase with such long hair. Your human head affects your wolf's hair as well."

"No," Jake continued to shake his head, showering his chest with stray hairs. His body shook with rage, filling every part of him. "How dare you!"

Jake arose, giving no thought to his nakedness or that he might not have the strength to stand on his own. The only thing that surprised him was that he found himself to be a head length taller than Sam. Anger and adrenaline gave him unsurpassable strength. As Sam backed up towards Emily, it was not only for her safety. Sam was truly scared of him as he should be.

The last time a blade had run over Jake's head had been the day of his mother's funeral and since that day he had continued to let it grow. Jake wanted to lash out, but he couldn't find the words to express the feeling of betrayal that consumed him.

He imagined that Sampson had felt the same when he told his beloved Delilah the secret of his strength was bound in his hair. As a result of that betrayal a man of great strength was reduced to a slave.

Jake would not allow the same to become of him. He felt the animal within him wanting to break free. The wolf wanted revenge for what harm had been done to his human. With eyes filled with anger and resentment, he turned to Sam.

"Hand me the clippers," Jake demanded.

Sam paused for a moment, but then moved quickly to Jake, keeping one hand behind him towards Emily. "Stay back," he reminded her unnecessarily.

A moment later, the clippers rested in the palm of Jake's large hand. His thumb flicked the switch, and the blades began to fight against each other, anticipating the next batch of hair that would run through. Jake closed his eyes and used his other hand to feel his head to know where to continue what Sam had started. With each stroke over his head a new tear slipped from his eyes and rolled down his cheek.

Hair covered Jake's body and the floor at his feet. He gave a final glare to Sam, tossed him the clippers and stomped to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

"I can't believe he didn't phase." Jake heard Sam say through the door.

"I can't either," Emily agreed. "He's so different from the others."

"I still want you to stay away from him. It's too soon, anything could happen," Sam insisted.

Jake took another deep sigh and started the water, not bothering to wait for it to heat before stepping under the icy liquid. It felt strange to have water hitting his bare back instead of being cloaked by his hair. He used too much shampoo and the water never seemed hot enough. One of the many changes he had with his skin being 108 degrees, showers were never going to be hot again or he would need a hotter water heater.

He stepped out of the shower, looked through the cabinets until he found some basketball shorts, pulled them on and went to the kitchen. Neither Emily nor Sam were anywhere to be seen, however placed on the kitchen table were two large pizzas with a note from Emily.

It said, " _ **I'm so sorry. Sam wants to see you first thing tomorrow."**_

Jake found a plate and sat in front of the TV while he ate. He didn't see anyone else enter or exit the house the rest of the evening.

* * *

The following morning Jake awoke to the sound of one long howl. He stumbled out of bed and quickly walked out the front door. It was still early, and it appeared that the sun was thinking about peaking across the horizon.

As he approached the sound of the howl, he became nervous, Jake had never phased on purpose before. He started thinking about the other night and the only correlation that he knew of was the anger.

However, he had been furious at Sam when he cut his hair, and yet had kept his shape. As he thought about it, he knew that was different. Jake had maintained his shape because that was what he decided to do, now was the time to let it go. Within seconds Jake was on four legs again and his shorts were in pieces.

 _Dammit Jacob, think maybe you can remember to strip first_ , Sam corrected.

 _Sure, thing Boss Man. When you said first thing in the morning, you weren't kidding,_ Jake thought, his annoyance at Sam unmasked.

 _I need to show you our patrol routes and there are some other pack things we need to discuss. Then I'm going to bed, I've been working all night_.

 _Okay, I'm ready._

 _Follow me_ , Sam said, and broke into a sprint.

Running was fantastic, the closest Jake had ever come to it was on his motorcycle, but even that was not fast enough. Any tenderness in his shoulder from Paul was quickly forgotten. They kept a steady pace as they hurdled over fallen trees and his paws fell in love with the feel of the earth under him. Jake felt amazed at the clarity of his eyes, how he could see every detail on the leaves of the trees and the smallest of sounds were magnified and easy to identify.

As they galloped Sam showed Jake from one edge of their land to another. Once they had crossed all four corners Sam began to tell him about the treaty. Of course, Jake knew the legends and the moment Sam started speaking, his mind wandered to Jake's walk with Bella on the beach when he told her the scary stories.

 _You WHAT!_?! yelled Sam, stopping abruptly. His eyes were pitch black and full of rage.

On instinct, Jake's legs buckled under him in submission.

 _Tell me ALL, NOW!_

Jake instantly replayed his full conversation with Bella to Sam

 _I can't believe you, Jacob Black! You broke the treaty!_ Jake could tell Sam wanted to growl, hit, or bite, but was too shocked to do any of them. _I never did understand how Bella figured out what they were. But you told her!_

For the first time, the ramifications of what Jake had done, hit on a whole new level. He wanted to shift the blame to someone else, Sam would be preferable, but there was no way to do that. Immediately, his stomach twisted, and he started throwing up.

 _I'm sorry,_ Jake thought _._ He wasn't really sure if he was speaking to Sam or to Bella, but the pain in his chest told him it was probably Bella.

 _You can never speak to her again_. Sam's voice trembled with authority.

 _Sam, that is not going to be reasonable. Her dad is best friends with mine, I'm going to see her._ Jake felt a sliver of hope that Sam could be reasoned with and see the truth and logic behind his words.

 _Not anytime soon you aren't._

 _What do you mean_? Jake asked, filled with worry.

Sam began running again and Jake followed along.

 _I was already going to discuss Bella with you today, but that was before I knew you cannot be trusted with her._ Sam said, with disappointment in his eyes.

 _That's not fair, it was different then._

 _How is that?_

 _It wasn't true then. I didn't understand._ Jake was pulling at straws, but he had to try something.

 _And what if Bella wants to know if it is true? She knows that vampires exist, how much do you really think it will take her to figure out the rest of the story is true as well._

 _That is not going to happen,_ Jake said, trying to build confidence in himself as well as Sam.

 _Damn right it's not!_

It didn't seem like a battle Jake would win any time soon and he truly felt sick over his betrayal. It didn't feel like just a betrayal of his direct family or the whole Quileute tribe, which it certainly was, but Jake also felt like he had betrayed Bella. But who in their right mind would know that the Cullen family were vampires and have any type of association with them? Jake telling her should have protected her not thrown her into their arms.

 _Look Jacob, there are other reasons that you are not to be around Bella,_ Sam said with certainty. _The reasons that I actually came out here to talk to you about. When the gene gets triggered, then it is like we become a ticking time bomb that is ready to explode at any time, but it is like our body doesn't know how. It takes skill and practice to be able to phase when you want to, and even more importantly, to 'not' phase when you need to. You could easily hurt someone._

 _That might be true for you and the others, but not for me,_ Jake said with confidence.

 _I thought the same thing once_. Sam's eyes were so sad. _Pay attention_.

It irritated Jake that Sam treated him like a child when Sam was only four years older than him. Regardless, Jake couldn't ignore the images that filled his mind.

Sam started thinking, Jake saw him walk inside a small house and there was a woman inside. She was absolutely beautiful with clear tan skin and long black hair that accented her graceful neck. Jake immediately recognized the house and the woman as Emily. He felt Sam's love and devotion towards her, and he had no doubt to how important she was to Sam. The images were so clear that it was like Jake was there and it was his memory instead of being Sam's.

Mixed with love and devotion, Jake could also feel the desperation in Sam. Emily was rejecting Sam, and that she wanted him to leave. Suddenly, memories started swarming around as words mixed together and he saw Sam reach out his hand to her.

Jake didn't have time to feel the anger that must have risen up in Sam before he saw this beautiful woman clasp to the floor in a puddle of her own blood. Jake thought for sure Sam had killed her, but instead, Sam showed him the same woman with deep red scars down her face and shoulder.

 _That was what she was hiding behind her hair!_ Jake could barely breathe, from the swarm of emotions that had overcome him. Jake knew that this was serious, but despite the graphic representation given, he still felt deep in his soul that he would never hurt anyone. He knew Sam would know his thoughts, but he wasn't stupid enough to express his doubts on purpose, so he remained quiet.

 _If that weren't enough that isn't the only reason that you should stay away from Bella_. Sam said, his eyes filling with pain and regret.

This time, Jake saw Sam walking down the beach and he heard the most amazing laughter coming from someone obviously female. She had an amazing body, long smooth tan legs encased in cut-off shorts that were worn low on her hips, showing her tight stomach.

Jake felt like he should be embarrassed looking at the tiny bikini that supported her full chest, especially since he had known Leah Clearwater all his life. Leah ran, and Sam lift her in the air, kissing her passionately. She was extremely excited, telling Sam there was someone he just had to meet.

Suddenly, Jake felt his gut drop to the ground as he later saw the same girl in the sand curled up in a ball with her arms wrapped around herself like if she were to let go she would explode or crumble into a million pieces. She lifted her head and Jake dreaded to think that another scar would be there, but instead he saw the same empty look on her face that Bella had when Sam had found her in the woods.

Jake laid his head to the ground, wishing for anything to remove the images from his head. He couldn't make sense of it. What did becoming a wolf have to do with breaking Leah's heart?

 _Why?_ Jake breathed.

 _I didn't have a choice_. Sam said, his voice thick from disgust at himself.

 _I don't understand._

 _Leah brought me to meet her cousin, Emily, and I imprinted._

 _You, what?_

Sam took a deep breath and started telling Jake about imprinting and the gravitational pull that he now felt towards Emily. He explained that through the accident, it brought him and Emily together. Jake could feel their love for one another, as he saw Sam place a kiss on Emily's forehead, her scarred cheek, ending at her mangled lips.

In that moment, Jake knew Sam was right about Bella. He never wanted to put her in physical or emotional danger, which seemed certain. Jake was going to have to keep his distance from her.

* * *

Please remember to review before going to the next chapter and visit my original story at **JJLiniger dot com.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The next several days Jake was able to find a routine. Each night he was able to sleep in his own bed, wake up, and have breakfast with Billy before he headed to the woods to meet up with whoever was on duty. Most often it was Sam because Jared, Paul, and Embry had gone back to school.

Jake still didn't like Sam, but he couldn't help but feel sympathy for Sam going through this transition completely alone. It had to be torture for Sam to think that he would be a wolf for the rest of his life until the Council discovered what had happened and found him in the woods.

Jake had been doing really well, and he had not once phased out of his control. It had been just over a week since his first phase and Sam was simply amazed by his progress. It was a strange mixture of pride that Jake was able to do it so well and feeling even more of a freak.

Was being a "better" werewolf than the rest of them really something to be proud of?

At least he had Embry, which made the whole werewolf ordeal almost bearable. They were together constantly. Jake grabbed four hot dog wieners and put them in the microwave while Embry toasted some sandwich bread. He wrapped the bread around the wieners and Jake added ketchup to his and Embry added mustard to his.

"Thanks, Jake, I was starving." Embry smiled and began to eat.

"I was too. I need to figure out a way to keep the house as stocked as Emily keeps her's. I was just there for a day, but I think I ate about a week's worth of food and barely put a dent in the pantry."

"I know, she's amazing," Embry complimented and ate both of his and relaxed on the couch..

"Agreed." Jake had finished one and was amazed at how quickly Embry could eat. As he took his first bite of his second, they heard a loud howl from Sam.

Jake instantly learned why wolves eat so fast, and decided he could eat on the run cramming the whole hot dog into his mouth as they bolted out the door. In an instant they were both in the woods running on four legs.

 _What's going on?_ Embry and Jake yelled together.

 _Leeches, two of them._ Sam responded.

It was Jake's first taste of action and he felt pumped. He heard Jared, running next to Sam and then Paul joined in as well. Soon all five of them were together. They couldn't see the leeches, but they could smell them. The sick sweet smell burned his nose and every instinct in his body wanted to attack.

Sam had the lead and Paul and Jared were on either side of him while Embry and Jake trailed behind Paul. They followed in each other's footsteps to mask the size of the pack.

As they followed the scent, it seemed that the leeches would be together, then separate and come back together only to separate again. Sam hated to divide his pack, but it was the only option.

Sam and Jake followed her as they tracked the female and the others tracked the male. Jake knew that he would never understand the thought process of any bloodsucker, but these two seemed to make no sense at all.

They had split up again, then the female scent disappeared. Sam explained that she must have climbed up into the trees and would leap from branch to branch. They were almost impossible to trace up in the trees because the wind would blow their scent around, and it was harder to determine which direction they were going.

The male headed towards Forks. They knew that these were a lethal pair and felt that the town was in greater danger than the off chance she found some random person in the woods.

Sam and Jake were still several miles behind when the rest of the pack caught up to the male leech. He had dark olive skin and black hair, standing in a brown and wilted meadow. He was repulsive to Jake and he couldn't understand why they didn't just attack immediately.

 _He's not alone,_ said Jared.

Jake looked through Jared's eyes and saw Bella. She seemed to be talking to the leech as he circled around closer to her.

 _It looks like the leech lover has found her a new toy_ , mocked Paul.

Jake felt the growl deep in his chest and flashed his teeth, wishing that he was closer to take a bite out of Paul.

 _Cut it out guys, now is not the time_ , Sam ordered.

 _Shouldn't we be protecting her Sam?_ Jake asked.

 _Sam, I heard him mention the Cullens,_ Embry added.

Jake felt another growl deep in his chest.

 _Cut it out, Jacob,_ Sam said, getting irritated. _We can't attack, if he is with the Cullens. We are on their territory._

 _But him and that tick have already broken the treaty,_ Jake replied.

 _Yes, but we can't prove that it was them. We have not actually seen them kill anyone,_ Sam countered.

 _That is a load of crap. Are you saying that he has to bite Bella before we can do anything?_ Jake asked.

 _Maybe._

Jake knew better than to growl at Sam, but everything in him wanted to. As the wolves spoke to one another, the leech continued to circle around Bella. Jake saw the fear in her eyes and he decided to start paying attention to what they were saying to each other.

"Then why not wait for her?" Bella choked out.

The leech grinned mischievously and Jake wanted to rip his head off. "Well, you've caught me at a bad time, Bella. I didn't come to this place on Victoria's mission—I was hunting. I'm quite thirsty, and you do smell . . . simply mouth-watering."

 _Come on Sam! That has got to be enough of a threat,_ Jake yelled. _If something happens to her, I will never forgive you._

Everyone knew that this was a battle between Sam and Jake, and did the best they could do keep their thoughts to themselves, but Jake could feel Embry's concern for Bella, and he felt Paul's impatience wanting to kill the leech, not really caring about Bella at all. Jared was silently waiting for Sam.

 _Ok, we're going in,_ Sam said and Jake released the breath he had been holding. _But you all wait for my command, and not a second before. You got that Jacob?_

 _Yes._ Jake answered, trying not to be offended that he was singled out. He was so relieved that Jake would have agreed to anything as long as it was not retreating and letting Bella become another victim. That he wouldn't have agreed to and would've challenged Sam on the spot.

The leech was too close to Bella so they could not just pounce and attack, they needed to separate him from her.

 _I'm going out first, alone. If he tries to attack me, then that will give him enough distance from Bella so you all come from behind and get him_.

They all nodded in agreement as Sam stepped forward with a low growl escaping from his chest as he entered the meadow.

They saw the leech's head turn in Sam's direction and together all crouched down ready to strike. Bella opened her eyes and kept them glued in front of her as the bloodsucker backed slowly away from her. Bella's eyes focused in on Sam and she stayed completely still while the leech inched himself closer and closer to the nearby trees.

 _Sam_? Jared questioned.

 _Come, slowly,_ Sam replied.

Paul and Jared flanked Sam. Paul only concentrated on the leech, not taking his eyes off him. Jake approached so fully focused on the leech in front of him that he did not even realize that he had come so close to Bella.

She instantly gasped and jumped back, drawing Jake's attention to her. Her scent was so strong and he took a moment to let it fill his senses. It was such a welcome relief from the horrible smell of leech that also filtered through the air. Jake saw her fear, and it felt ironic that she feared them more than the leech that was about to take her life.

 _Figures_ , mumbled Paul.

 _Jacob, focus!_ Sam commanded, as a low growl escaped from his mouth.

 _Sorry, I'm here,_ Jake said, giving the tick his full attention. The fear on the bloodsucker's face brought him joy, and he wanted to destroy him.

The leech bolted towards the trees and they were after him in seconds, with Sam leading the way. They were going their full speed, something Jake had never done before. The trees whizzed by his head as the muscles in his body propelled him faster and faster.

Jake saw the bloodsucker not far ahead, and he found that the pack was much faster than him. Sam lunged forward to grab the leech by the right shoulder. Paul went for his head and missed receiving a kick in the shoulder from the leech, taking out a couple trees in his fall.

 _Dammit_ , Paul growled and his pain enraged them all.

Embry latched onto the left leg of the leech with his teeth and ripped it off with a satisfying crack. The leech rolled to the ground screaming in pain and Jake stood with his legs on his chest, using his full weight to his advantage and pinned him to the ground, while Sam tore his head from his shoulders. At the same time Jake dismembered his other leg and arms, all within a matter of minutes. The venom from his sockets burned his throat, but was not poisonous, unlike his mouth which could kill them.

Once they started to dismember the leech, Jared phased to human and gathered sticks and leaves together to burn him. It didn't have to be big because the venom was extremely flammable. Sam also phased and quickly pulled his shorts on and took a lighter out of his pants pocket and ignited the small timber.

"Good teamwork everyone," exclaimed Sam. "What a rush!"

"That was freaking awesome!" Jared called out in amazement.

Embry and Jake phased back to human and started gathering vampire pieces and adding them to the fire.

"Hell yeah it was!" Embry added.

While Paul was still a wolf he came over near the fire and dug a deep hole with his large paws, so that they would be able to bury the ashes once they were finished. Then Paul phased back and joined in the burning. After some of the adrenaline wore off, Jake noticed the repulsive smell and dark, disgusting smoke as the fire grew with each new piece they added.

"Hey guys, once we are finished here, let's cover the usual patrols to double check for the red head, and then I want everyone at my house for a bonfire tonight. You all earned it!" Sam said with admiration for a job well done.

"Damn right we did!" Paul cheered.

"Sounds great, thanks Sam," responded Jared.

They picked up their pace, excited about the bonfire tonight and soon they were finished with patrols. Despite Jake's best efforts, he couldn't get Bella's frightened face out of his mind.

His gut told him someone should be protecting her. It was clear that she had some type of association with the vampire, and that scared him to death that the red head might think that Bella was somehow involved and seek her revenge on Bella.

By the time they gathered at Sam's, it was dark. Behind Sam and Emily's house sat a huge round pit that they built a large fire in. The giant flames consumed the dry timber.

"Hey Sam," Jake called, getting his attention.

"Yes, Jacob."

"I was wondering about Bella. I think that someone should be protecting her."

"Why? We got the leech that she was with."

"It can't be completely a coincidence that she was with him."

"Jacob, I know you don't want to hear this, but that is the consequences of her being friendly with the Cullens."

"What? Are you saying she asked for it?" Jake asked, his voice low and angry.

"Not exactly, and it doesn't matter. We will protect Bella just the same as any other human, but at this time, I do not see any reason for her to have specific protection."

Jake wanted to say more, but then Emily brought out a massive amount of sliced potatoes, carrots, onions and hamburger meat. He knew that Sam would have a different opinion if it were his precious Emily who was the potential target.

They each grabbed a large sheet of tin foil and loaded it with all the ingredients and then rolled the corners of the foil to seal it inside. They placed a massive grate over the fire and placed their food over the flames to cook. As soon as they placed their food down, then they started building their second round in an equally large sheet of tin foil. They each had their own 2 liter bottle of soda and relaxed by the fire, reliving the big moment of killing their first leech.

As the guys celebrated, Jake looked around. It didn't take him long to notice Emily sitting close to the fire with a notepad in her hand.

Emily caught his eye and smiled.

Jake looked away with heat creeping across his cheeks. _Jeez, why am I blushing? This is ridiculous._

Jake tried to distract himself by talking to Embry, but he kept hearing page after page of Emily's notebook flip and became more curious. When Embry went to get his food, Jake leaned closer to get a better look. "What are you doing?" he asked Emily

"I'm writing down the stories," she answered.

"What for?" Jake wondered out-loud.

"For the next generation."

"It was one leech, do you really think that they will care?"

"I don't know and I don't think that is for me to determine. Do you think that the Third Wife knew what she was doing was heroic the day she killed herself for her tribe?"

"Probably. That seemed like a much more significant task than a five minute vampire kill."

"You might have a valid point."

Jake saw her watching him and he could see something in her eyes that indicated that she wanted to say more. "What is it?" he asked.

"I'm surprised. I would think you, of all people, would think saving Bella's life is worth documenting."

"You are right. It is."

As the excitement built around Jake, his anxiety about Bella wouldn't settle. He had to choke down both portions of food, despite it tasting delicious. Jake knew that if he left a crumb, it would draw attention to his gloomy mood, and he was trying to avoid the limelight.

"Do you think Bella would know anything about the red head?" Embry asked.

Jake frowned and didn't like involving Bella any more than she already was.

"That girl is a freak." Paul mumbled.

Jake felt a low growl rumble from his chest.

"Come on Jake, she purposefully hung out with vampires," Embry paused, "that should qualify as at least a little strange."

"It must have sucked to know that she was so torn up over a bunch of leeches," Jared stated while shaking his head.

The rumble in Jake's chest started to vibrate and he could feel himself start to tremble. He backed up from the group and edged back towards the trees.

"Jacob, I'm sorry," Jared said, his eyes looking down.

"Just leave me alone guys."

"Do you want me to come?" Embry asked as he started to stand up.

"No, just let me be," Jake said, as he paced slowly back and forth.

Jared was certainly right, it did suck to know that Bella had fallen to pieces over a bunch of bloodsuckers and especially over Edward. Jake always knew that he was competing romantically against the memory of Edward Cullen, but he thought it was just the memory of his pretty face and loads of cash. That was hard enough to rival with, but then to find out that he had been competing against a vampire this whole time, Jake had never been more angry and repulsed all at the same time.

"Jake," Emily said softly.

Jake had been pacing and so lost in his own thoughts that he would have walked right into her had she not said anything. Therefore when he finally came to a halt, his body was merely inches away from hers.

"I'm sorry, what?" Jake looked at her intently, wondering what she wanted.

"Emily!" Sam called at the same time.

"It's nothing, never mind," she quickly turned from Jake, her shoulder brushing against his as she looked to Sam.

Jake simply stood there looking between Emily and Sam in bewilderment about what he had missed.

* * *

Patience readers, getting Jacob with Emily isn't exactly easy to do realistically, but it will come ;) Thank you for reading, please review, and check out my website at JJLiniger dot com.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Jake has had the worst week of his entire life. He continued to run patrols with Sam during the day. After being tired of hearing about Bella for so much Sam had his own form of revenge.

Sam thought about Emily, keeping his thoughts PG, but still focused on the loving relationship. They kissed passionately, and she moaned as Sam touched her intimately. Sam made sure to leave no doubt that more would be following, but always stopped short of actually giving Jake a peep show. Every day Jake saw their love for each other and it made him fill with jealousy.

Then the traitor spoke to The Council, and they all freaked out, once Sam told them that Jake had told Bella about the legends. Jake had never seen his dad angrier than when he returned from that meeting. He was sure that Billy would have grounded Jake for life if Sam had not already ordered him away from Bella. Billy had been Jake's only ally, having complete faith that Jake could be trusted around Bella, and that faith was shattered.

To say his life sucked would be putting it mildly. As a result, Jake was extremely short tempered. The only thing that kept him from turning into a huge wolf at any second was the fact that he already was a wolf 70% of the day and he didn't want it any more than he had to. It also did not help that Bella decided to call the house every half hour and drive his dad equally crazy.

It really sucked to have everyone on edge around Jake, even his own pack brothers looked at him at times like he was going to lose it. He wished they knew how much that fueled the fire that raged within him.

Once he was in the trees, it was a quick run over to Sam and Emily's house. Jake walked in the door and immediately smelled something wonderful coming from the kitchen.

"Hello, Jacob," Emily called with a soft smile on her face.

"Hi, Emily. Is Sam around?" He frowned at mentioning him.

"He should be in soon. Would you like to stay for lunch?"

"Yes, please." Jake knew that his mouth was watering, and he just hoped that he wasn't making a puddle on the floor.

She lightly laughed. Emily was familiar with the stomach of the wolves and seemed to always have something ready to eat. They were all comfortable here and considered this a second home.

For many, it was the only home where they could truly be themselves. Jake had no idea how Embry was able to keep the secret from his mom, even Jared and Paul have to keep the secret at home as well.

Jake walked over to the large worn table and took a seat. In no time, Emily brought a large bowl of wide egg noodles covered in a beefy stroganoff sauce and set it directly in front of him. She also had a small bowl for herself and sat in the chair across the table.

"So, how have you been Jacob?" Emily asked and her eyes were so kind that he could tell that she really cared. "You look really tired."

"I've been better. I have not been sleeping well."

"Worried about the red head?" She stood up and walked to the cabinets and got two glasses and filled them with water, setting one in front of Jake and the other for herself.

"Thank you," Jake said, taking a quick drink. "Not really worried." Jake paused, taking a bite of food. "What do you know about Bella?"

"Well I know that Sam found her in the woods after the Cullen's left, and that you are close to her."

"Yeah, I used to be." Jake looked down, sometimes it felt like a completely different life that was filled with Bella and a different Jacob who had taken his place in the past two weeks.

"Tell me about her."

Jake put his fork down for a moment and took a drink from his water. "Well, she is my best friend and being with her is just easy. We don't have to try to make things work; it just does. When she smiles, I feel like my heart might explode and I know that I would do anything in the world for her."

"It sounds like you love her," Emily said, and Jake could see that she wanted him to be happy.

"I do." Jake picked his fork up again and started eating. It felt good to be able to express his feelings for Bella so easily.

"Have you ever loved another girl before?" Emily paused for a moment, realizing that maybe she shouldn't have asked such a personal question. "Oh, I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that," she added, blushing in embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it. No, I have never felt like this before. I have always been interested in girls, and there has been someone here and there, but nothing serious enough to call love. I've never even kissed anyone."

Emily blinked her eyes a little and seemed to be surprised. It made Jake blush and feel embarrassed by his inexperience.

"Not even Bella?" She asked.

"No, she doesn't see me like that. I am just the trusted 'best friend'. She knows that I like her a lot and would want more. Given the time, I really think that she would realize that she loves me too, but I guess that now just isn't going to happen."

Emily looked into Jake's sad eyes and softly reached across the table, lightly patting his hand. "I'm sorry. I know what it is like to lose someone you love." Her face turned into an uncharacteristic frown. Jake paused, at first puzzled at who she would have loved and lost. "Leah, was my best friend, closer to me than even my own sister, and now she hates me."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I wouldn't give up Sam for the world. Obviously, he doesn't like to bring up Leah. It has been sort of nice to have someone to talk to. So thanks, Jacob."

Jake blushed at the compliment and looked down to take a couple more bites of food. "Do you think that you and Leah will ever be able to fix things?"

"Maybe. I want to ask her to be a bridesmaid, but it might be too awkward." Emily finished eating her food and walked over and set her bowl in the sink.

"Go for it Emily. I would want Embry in my wedding."

"Even if he were marrying Bella?"

"Um, well maybe not. Watching Bella get married to someone else that would suck."

Talking to Emily was really helpful, and it was the most calm and relaxed that Jake had been all week. Then Sam walked in, he was completely naked and walked to Emily gave her a kiss on the cheek, and then headed for the other room.

Jake hadn't gotten used to the nudity thing, and it caught him by surprise sometimes.

Sam turned and stuck his head back through the doorway "Oh Jacob."

"Yes?" Jake raised his head to look him in the eyes.

"Just for the record, I'm the only one who gets to walk around here naked." Then he gave a quick smirk to Emily and shut the door.

"Sure, you are…" Jake whispered softly and gave Emily a wink.

"Shhh, that's our secret remember."

A small chuckle escaped his lips as Emily, with bright red cheeks, walked over, took his bowl, and started filling it again. Then she got a second large bowl, filled it, and brought both back to the table. As she sat both bowls down Sam came back fully dressed and sat at the table. As they ate, they made plans for the rest of the day.

Jake stretched out his long legs under the table and accidentally stepped on Emily. He started to apologize when she giggled and stepped on his foot. Jake coughed to cover his laughter as he tried to keep listening to Sam as a silent game of footsie ensued under the table.

"Thanks for lunch, Em," Sam smiled and leaned across the table to give her a kiss.

Jake used the toe of his shoe to tickle her ankle and heard Emily giggle into her kiss. "You are welcome," she told Sam and used her other foot to slither up Jake's leg, tickling the back of his knee.

It didn't tickle, but Jake laughed and jumped up from the table.

"Let's get going, Jacob. We can meet the others at the school."

"Right behind you." Jake gave Emily another grin and then followed Sam out the door.

They arrived at school, pulled on their shorts and waited for Paul, Jared and Embry to join them. As they left the school, Jake saw Quil who looked like he was trying to follow them without being seen, but was failing.

For a moment, he made eye contact with Quil, but quickly wished that he hadn't. They picked up their pace, but Quil quickened as well. It was a tough combination of being fast enough that Quil could not catch them but not be "super human" fast. It was clear he was suspicious and they didn't want to give him any further ammunition.

Once they were out of Quil's sight they phased, but stayed close by to make sure that Quil didn't get himself lost. So they wandered around in the woods for an hour, making sure that he ended up back to the road. To say that was irritating would be an understatement. Jake hated the secrecy that was now his life.

At least while they wandered around, they were able to have their "meeting" in their mind and decided that Jake was going to have the weekend off. Everyone knew the crappy mood that he had been in lately and even though they didn't know why he wasn't sleeping, everyone could see that Jake was sleep deprived.

They decided Jake would get a full escort back to his house. Why? Jake wasn't sure, but it added to the irritation that he was already feeling.

They were still in the trees just outside Jake's house when he heard a sound that was equally bitter as it was sweet. Bella's truck pulled up into the yard, from there they could see her stop the engine, roll down her window and rest her legs on the dash of her truck. Clearly, it did not seem like she was going anywhere soon.

"Sam, I can't avoid her forever," Jake reasoned.

"Jacob, this is not a good idea."

"I can handle this, I swear. I am not going to hurt her."

"At least not on purpose."

"Sam, I am not YOU!" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Jake knew he shouldn't have said them, but it was too late. Honestly he didn't regret saying it. He was tired of being held to their standards, clearly Sam's limitations didn't apply to Jake.

Sam's hands clenched into a fist at his sides. "Jacob! You will NOT see her!" His order was emphatic and Jake felt his legs literally become glued in place.

The heavy rain clouds above chose that moment to crack open and big, fat drops fell from the sky, drenching them quickly.

"Sam! Let me go!" Jake challenged angrily.

"No," Sam said, not budging on his decision.

"How about I go?" Embry volunteered, both to defuse the situation between Jake and Sam and also to get out of the rain quicker. "Someone has to talk to her, Sam. She knows I'm Jake's best friend. Maybe she will listen."

Sam nodded to Embry. "Give it a try."

A deep growl rumble in his chest and he turned his back on Sam, watching his best friend handle a responsibility that should have been his. He should be the one talking to Bella and Jake knew it. Instead, he watched and listened carefully.

Embry approached Bella's truck and tapped on her window, causing her to jump. "What are you doing here, Bella?" he asked.

"I came to see Jake, obviously," Bella rolled her eyes at him. "Why do you care? I thought you and Jake weren't friends anymore."

"Nah, we're great." Embry gave her a smile.

"Really?" Bella said surprised. "Jake finally got you out of that stupid gang?"

"You could say that, we are together all the time now."

"Then where is he?"

"Look, Bella, I need to talk to you. Jake is my best friend and this 'best friend' thing that you have with him is cruel. The whole world knows that Jake doesn't just see you as a friend and unless you can return ' _those'_ feelings, then you need to leave."

"I'm not leaving without seeing him." Bella crossed her arms over her chest.

Jake glared at Sam, but somehow also smirked, knowing that he was right and Bella had to talk to him.

"Forget it Jacob, it is not going to happen, and there is not a damn thing you can do about it," Sam taunted.

The worst part for Jake was that he knew Sam was right. Jake tried to lift his leg to go towards Bella, but it felt like his foot had been welded to the grass. The more he tried the angrier he became. There was one thing that the alpha could not control and that was phasing. If Sam could, he would simply order them to never phase in public or some other cleverly worded order that prevented them from accidentally phasing, but that wasn't possible.

"Jacob, no!" Sam tried to order.

Jake laughed humorously, his angry eyes glued onto Sam. He took a deep breath and could feel the delicious heat begin to permeate down to his core and an instant later a furious growl erupted from his snout.

There was no seeing Bella like this and Jake knew that, he didn't even try. He had his F-You moment to Sam, and they both knew it.

"What was that!?" Jake heard Bella say loudly. He was shrouded behind the thick trees that surrounded his garage, but he could still see her and Embry.

"We've been having a problem with wild animals," Embry reasoned.

"Yeah, I know," Bella mumbled, as she leaped back into her truck.

"Bye, Bella," Embry waved to her.

"Bye," she sighed.

Embry stayed out in front of Jake's house until her truck completely disappeared and then he walked back. Jared and Paul both looked at him with appreciation for at least trying. "Sorry Sam, I did the best I could."

"You did good, Embry." Sam said as he turned from Embry to look at Jacob. "Better than he would have done. We all know that he couldn't have pushed her away."

Jake wanted to scream and moved towards Sam, but both Jared and Paul stepped in front of their alpha. It wasn't worth attacking his brothers to get to the conceited prick. Jake would think of another way to hurt him as badly as Sam had hurt him. Jake would have done what he had to do and Sam's constant assumptions about Jake's behavior was beyond annoying.

With a frustrated huff, Jake ran towards the trees, thankful that his legs had broken free from the invisible trap that had encased them. It was still raining, and he was soaking wet, but he didn't care. Jake felt glad he was the only one as a wolf. His mind was full of rage and he wanted revenge on Sam for keeping him away from Bella.

Before Jake could stop it a memory from Sam flashed across his mind, it was about Emily. What if Jake could somehow keep Sam away from her? _No, it's impossible._ He reminded himself. _They are imprinted, nothing could keep them apart._

Then Jake remembered the first memory that Sam had shared with him. Before Sam had hurt Emily, she was pushing him away. It was possible. If she could do it once, then she could do it again. Jake just needed to give her a reason.

Emily was one of the kindest persons Jake had ever met. All the guys respected her, but at the same time they also ignored her. She was just there, without ever really being acknowledged. That was about to change and it just so happened that Jake had the weekend to give her some much needed attention.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Jake trotted towards home, but was not really in any hurry to get there. He saw the sun set behind the horizon. It felt freeing to let his mind wander where it may. Until suddenly he sensed someone phase in. Of course it would be Sam.

 _Jacob, you are supposed to be taking the weekend off. Get home!_ Sam ordered. It wasn't a true 'alpha order' so that Jake wasn't bound by the order, but it still had the same implications.

 _Yes, Sir!_ Jake replied sarcastically and immediately phased out. He would rather walk a hundred miles than to have his mind connected to Sam's for any longer. Jake also couldn't risk him seeing his plan towards Emily.

Jake had seen inside Sam's mind and he knew how much she meant to him. Could he really try to steal another wolf's imprint? Jake couldn't get Bella to see past a friendship, how on earth would he be able to compete with the binding power of imprinting?

Doubt filled Jake as he continued to walk, but he didn't want to believe it was hopeless. Stubbornness kept him moving forward and before he could talk himself out of it, he found himself on Emily's front porch.

The heavy black rain clouds blocked the moon's rays, making it extremely dark. The shadow of the door moved over him as it opened and Emily walked into what easily could have felt like a brick wall, but instead was Jake's naked chest.

"Ahhh!" Emily screamed and immediately began to hit Jake.

"Emily, stop! What are you doing?" Jake asked, shocked by her initial reaction. He could see the whites of her eyes as panic had seized her.

"Jake?" she asked, breathlessly.

"Yes, are you okay?" He put his arm around her and she nodded her head, but he could hear her heart racing and knew that she wasn't really okay. "I don't believe you. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." She shook her head and opened the door wider for him to come in. Jake stepped inside and the lights of the room, revealing his nakedness. "Whoa… uh, uhm…" Emily stammered.

Jake watched her as she looked everywhere, but at his face. He couldn't help the laughter that erupted from him and honestly, it felt great to laugh. Jake couldn't recall the last time he truly laughed. It was probably with Bella in his garage when they had tripped over something invisible and could easily laugh at themselves. He enjoyed being with someone who wasn't always perfect. In many ways Emily made him feel the same way.

"Stop laughing at me," Emily slapped his shoulder. "Where are your clothes?"

Jake shrugged. "They got shredded. Got any spare shorts?"

"Of course," Emily giggled softly and turned towards the spare bedroom. Her bare feet thumped softly against the hardwood floor. "Did you finally phase without meaning to?"

"Not exactly," Jake answered vaguely. Emily gave him a confused look which made him shrug again. "It's complicated."

Jake's comfort with his nudity surprised him. He considered himself to be shy and hated that he blushed so easily. There was something about Emily that made him feel calm and comfortable in his own skin. Jake grinned and followed her to the same bathroom he had used immediately after his first phase.

"I think we both knew that Sam wouldn't be the only person walking around here naked."

"You are probably right. Why are you so wet and muddy?"

Jake laughed again. "You do know that it rains here more than almost any other place on earth. Rain makes things wet." Jake shook his head and tiny droplets sprayed from his short hair.

"Jake, stop it!" Emily shrieked and threw a towel to him. Jake caught the towel, but continued to shake his head, tiny droplets raining around them. Emily wiped her face and grabbed another towel draping it over his head. "There," she said, and determined the problem fixed.

He ran the towel over his head and shoulders and body while he watched Emily busy herself in finding shorts. He watched her curiously since he knew that the shorts were in the long linen closet on the top shelf, he assumed that she would know that too since most likely she placed them there.

"Need some help?" He offered. Stepping closer to her, his arm brushed across her shoulder as he opened the cabinet door, revealing the shorts. Jake reached over her, inside the cabinet, and grabbed a pair, slipping them on easily.

Jake could hear her heart beat wildly beneath her chest. It was strange and yet exciting to hear that he was affecting her in some way.

"Are you hungry?" Emily asked. He assumed to change the subject, like all the other wolves, he was always hungry.

"Of course," Jake answered.

Emily took a deep breath and then went to the kitchen. She rifled through the refrigerator and Jake could tell that she seemed more relaxed. He noticed cooking or preparing food was a stress reliever for her.

It made him wonder what had caused the stress. Was it him showing up naked on her front porch? He decided that was certainly a possibility, but that didn't explain the massive amount of food that she always had available.

Jake helped himself to a soda and a bag of chips and sat down at the table. A few minutes later, Emily joined him with a sandwich for them both. Jake's was three times the size of hers and he appreciated her desire to take care of other people.

"Thank you, Emily."

"You are welcome, it's nothing."

"It's food, that is hardly nothing," he smiled.

"I suppose," she conceded.

He took a large bite of his sandwich. There were certain foods that tasted better if it were prepared by someone else and sandwiches were one of those foods. The meats and cheeses blended together with some type of sauce that he couldn't quite identify.

"So, what is your nothing?" Jake asked, between bites of his sandwich.

"My what?" Emily laughed.

"Your everything, that could so easily be called nothing. You know, like food."

Emily pursed her lips together thoughtfully and then a pleasant smile stretched across her face. "Sam," she answered.

"Yeah, he's nothing alright," Jake mumbled with a frown.

"Don't say that, you know what I mean."

"I guess," Jake agreed reluctantly, but honestly he didn't know what she meant. He couldn't see inside her head the same way he could see inside of Sam's. Though the invasion of privacy was often overwhelming, the alternative of the unknown was equally frustrating.

He finished his food and drank the rest of his soda, standing up to throw away the empty can and to return the chips to the pantry. Jake reached out, stretching his muscles and considered going home, but didn't feel ready to leave. There was so much about her that Jake didn't know and he wanted that changed.

"But what about before him?" Jake asked. "You had a life, Emily. I have no idea what it was, but you had Leah, who you loved like a sister and friends and family from the Makah reservation. I can't believe that you have thrown all that away for Sam."

Emily nodded silently and rubbed her dry lips together. Quickly she gathered their plates and returned to the kitchen.

Jake felt guilty and like he had crossed a line. The problem was he didn't know what lines were sacred to her. He wondered what she thought. What was it like for her? Was she really happy? He let the questions swarm around inside his mind as Emily finished in the kitchen and then settled on the end of the couch.

Slowly, Jake walked over to her, sitting down next to her. Emily looked at him and then reached behind Jake to grab a throw blanket. She shook it open and then Jake reached out and helped to place the blanket over her body.

"I'm sorry, Em…"

"Stop," she interrupted, "don't say anymore."

Jake nodded and stretched his long legs out in front of him. He couldn't help feeling like he had screwed up. Whatever impulsive plan Jake thought he had to miraculously steal something sacred from Sam was over before it even started. He placed his hand over hers that rested on her thigh. They sat silently.

The silence felt nice. Emily turned the TV on to give them something to do, but Jake felt like he could have sat there comfortably without the need to fill it with anything. His body felt tired from all the patrolling that he had done all week.

He closed his eyes, listening to the sitcom and to Emily's giggles. She had an amazing sense of humor and he decided quickly that he loved to hear her laugh.

With his eyes still closed, he remembered his hand that rested on hers and slowly moved his hand finding her waist and lower rib. A mischievous grin crept across his face as he whispered, "One…"

Emily squirmed.

"Two…" Jake whispered again, his fingers finding her second rib.

"You had better watch what you start," Emily looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Challenge accepted," Jake smirked, finding another rib. "Three."

Emily laughed loudly and suddenly turned to pounce on him. Jake shifted surprised and leaned back on the couch. His fingers continued to move over her stomach. He could feel the tight muscles of her abs as she continued to laugh. Her long hair hung down in her face and she threw her head to the side to see better.

Jake didn't expect her skin to feel so soft. Other than Bella's cold, delicate hands, he had never touched a woman. Her skin felt like what he imagined expensive silk to be like, but Jake had never touched that either. His hands were most familiar with the insides of an engine. They spent most of their time covered in grease and clutching on to hard metal tools until the past week when he traded all that in for fur and claws.

Emily's hands danced over his skin, he assumed in search of a ticklish spot. In contrast, Jake could give his fingers the slightest wiggle and it sent her into a fit of giggles. Jake knew that she was quickly learning that she was at an extreme disadvantage because he only had one place that was ticklish.

For most of his life he believed that he wasn't ticklish at all. It wasn't until a spring camping trip with the Clearwaters that he learned differently.

* * *

 _% % % % %_

 _Jacob, Becca, Rachel, Leah and Seth all road together in the back of his family's beat up Chevy truck. The girls groaned as the wheels found each rock and dip along the rugged trail that lead to the families' favorite camping spot. It held wide open space for tents, tall trees for coverage in the hot summer, and a pond that worked as both entertainment for the kids and food for their stomach._

 _Once the truck rolled to a stop, Harry helped Billy into his chair and Sue began to set up her nest. Jacob and Seth gathered firewood, excited to use the new hatchet to chop through larger branches. Becca, Rachel, and Leah looked for the perfect spot to lay out their towels and soak in the first rays of the Spring sun. Jacob never understood the concept of tanning, especially with their natural russet skin, it seemed like a complete waste of time, not to mention boring._

 _Seth dragged a long dead tree towards Jacob. "Come on, Jake," he said excited._

" _Alright!" Jacob returned equal enthusiasm._

 _Several hacks later with the hatchet and Seth was ready for his turn. They traded back and forth until Jacob noticed that as he lifted the handle towards Seth, he wasn't paying attention to him. Jacob followed his line of sight and saw his sisters and Leah._

" _Ugh!" Jacob made a face._

" _What?" Seth asked innocently._

" _Those are my sisters and aren't you too young to be interested in girls?"_

" _No, I'm not," Seth insisted._

 _Jacob simply shook his head and loaded his arms full of firewood. The stack stood well above his ability to see the ground as he carried the timber towards the fire pit._

 _Leah rested on her stomach and stretched out her long legs at the moment that Jacob came stomping along. Rachel could have said something and stopped it, but she stifled a snicker as Jacob's foot connected with Leah's leg and pieces of wood went in all directions as he landed on top of her._

" _Jeez, Black, get off me!" Leah shrieked._

" _Get your feet out of the way!" Jacob countered._

 _Seth giggled until he made eye contact with Rachel. Crimson spread across his cheeks._

 _Rachel thought it was adorable._

 _Before Leah and Jacob could get into a true verbal war, their fathers had called the whole thing off. A grumpy Jacob distracted himself with starting the fire and Leah sat with Becca, licking her imaginary wounds._

 _Rachel, Becca, and Leah were about to graduate and Jacob and Seth both tried to pretend like they weren't going to miss their sisters like crazy._

 _Jacob and Leah continued pestering each other throughout the day. Jacob gently placed a frog on her shoulder, neither Leah nor the frog appreciated it. Leah caught a small fish and instead of returning it to the pond she decided it would have more fun going down the back of Jacob's shirt._

 _The banter continued and Seth, Rachel, and Becca tried to stay out of it as much as possible. Seth secretly liked that it gave him something to talk about with Rachel. They often whispered and would elbow each other if they noticed an "attack" in progress. Okay, so maybe it wasn't a secret, Rachel knew about his crush. She knew that she shouldn't encourage it, but she enjoyed the attention._

 _For the majority of Rachel's life, she saw Seth as a helpful kid with a radiant smile. His cup wasn't just always half full; it overflowed with optimism. Seth paid attention to people and even though he appeared to be shy, he was often engaged and saw the details that most other people ignored. She remembered Christmas and Birthdays where he would spend hours putting together her favorite songs on a CD, she never told him her favorites, but Seth always figured it out._

 _Surrounded by twinkling stars in the black sky, Seth popped a toasted marshmallow into his mouth. A stubborn gooey strand of mallow landed on his chin and he blushed._

 _Rachel giggled and used her thumb to swipe it across his jaw. "No harm done," she reassured him._

 _Seth's grin spread further across his face. He was the happiest boy on earth. It seemed too much to wish for something to happen between them, but he still hoped._

 _Later that night the five kids were sharing a tent._

 _With a sleepy smile, Seth looked at Rachel. "Good night," he whispered._

 _Rachel moved her hand to take his, interlacing her fingers with his. "Good night, Seth."_

 _Seth's heart leaped up into his throat. He wasn't sure he would sleep a wink, but as he felt her warm hand in his, he didn't care._

 _Leah also lie awake, her mind racing with thoughts of revenge and pranks. She had read somewhere about placing a person's hand in water to make them pee their pants. With a wicked chuckle she quickly rose from her sleeping bag and opened her thermos, thankful that it was wide enough to fit Jacob's hand inside._

 _Her plan might have worked if the early spring night hadn't made the air too cold and simply awakened him._

 _Jacob pretended to stay asleep, shifting his hand to knock the water over. He heard her curse and use her pillow to keep the water from finding someone's head._

 _Frustrated, Leah released a deep breath and decided to try tickling him. Jake felt her fingers flutter over his body in search of a place to make him giggle. It took everything he had to lay perfectly motionless, especially as her fingers found his feet and crept slowly up his leg. Suddenly to both of their surprise, she found the perfect spot._

% % % % % %

* * *

"I know you better than you think I do, Jacob Black," Emily said with a smirk.

"Oh really . . . Prove it," he challenged. He wiggled his fingers again just enough to prove his point and Emily giggled helplessly.

Emily had been best friends with Leah for all of her life and she remembered in vivid detail the long conversation where a frustrated Leah vented about her long weekend with Jacob. Therefore, Emily knew exactly what she was doing as she brought her hand to his inner thigh. Her eyes never left his as he knew that she had him.

Jake could hardly see straight as Emily tickled him mercilessly. His laughter filled the room as his hips bucked against her, all thoughts of trying to tickle her back temporarily forgotten. He rolled to escape, falling off the couch and took Emily with him. The tickling torture continued.

Rolling them again, Jake leaned over her, grasping both her arms and pinned them over her head.

Emily's grin stretched further, creating the happiest face Jake had ever seen. Both of their chests heaved, their lungs in search of much-needed oxygen. As their eyes connected, everything had changed.

It came suddenly and in slow motion all at the same time. Jake felt an overwhelming desire to kiss her. Before he could stop himself, Jake lowered his lips to hers, feeling the butterflies in his stomach take flight.

The kiss had barely lasted a second before his brain screamed at him that this was wrong; that this was his alpha's imprint. He knew it was true, but he also knew that he didn't care. Her lips were smooth and soft as they pressed back against his. His body felt weak, but instead of pressing further into her, it felt like he was floating on air.

Their kiss was slow, soft, and sweet. Emily knew that it was his first kiss, which made it the icing on an already delicious cake.

* * *

Thank you for the already man reviews, I greatly appreciate it. Hopefully, this is keeping your interest and peaking your curiosity. Please take a moment to check at my original work at JJLiniger dot com.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Suddenly, a long howl vibrated off the trees outside of Emily's house which broke her and Jake quickly apart.

Jake's heart hammered wildly in his chest and the tingle on his lips remained after kissing her.

"Oh my god," he whispered, "what are we going to do?"

"I don't know, but that was Sam," Emily said. Once again, Jake saw the whites of her eyes as panic seized her.

"Of course, it was Sam," Jake countered. His breathing still labored, but this time it was due to nerves as he filtered his fingers through his hair. It was a nervous habit from when his hair had been long that he hadn't yet figured out how to break.

"Do you think he saw you?" Emily asked,

"Me? You kissed me back!" Jake countered.

"I know." Her teeth found her lower lip, leaving deep marks in her flesh.

Jake sighed and didn't mean to sound like he was blaming her. His mind felt clouded from panic and he needed to think for a moment.

"I don't believe he saw anything, he sounded pretty far away. And most likely he wouldn't have howled from a distance, he would be more likely to barge in and rip my nuts off."

"Jake…" Emily grimaced.

"Regardless, we still have a problem." Jake stood up from the floor and paced back and forth to think of what to do next. He heard Emily's voice ramble to herself as he tried to sort out his own thoughts.

"Jake," Emily said again, shaking him. "You didn't hear me. What's the problem? You know, since Sam didn't see us, he won't find out."

Clearly, she wasn't thinking right, unless somehow she didn't know about the mind link between the wolves, which seemed unlikely. "Seriously Emily?"

Emily sighed and nodded her head. "You are worried about the mind link."

Thankfully she hadn't gone completely insane, Jake released a deep breath. "Exactly! How could I not be?"

"Then just don't think about it."

"Right…" Jake frowned _. How could she think she was so easily forgettable?_ "I want you to not think of an orange and yellow striped hippo."

"What?" Emily scrunched her face in confusion. "Why would I think of that?"

"You _are_ thinking of it right now. It's impossible not to. You can't purposefully not think of something without actually thinking of it."

When Jake had this ill-conceived plan it was in anger and resentment. Though he didn't want to admit it, he never dreamed it could work. He also didn't expect to care about Emily so quickly. What he had with Bella had developed out of a long distance crush and then blossomed during the weeks spent working in the garage. It was his only experience with love and though he didn't feel that for Emily, it was something pretty damn similar.

 _Did I imprint on her?_ He wondered to himself.

The only comparison he had on the subject was through Sam and he didn't really want to think about how Sam felt about Emily because it would be a reminder that she belonged to Sam. However, Jake needed answers to what had happened to him.

Still pacing back and forth, Jake closed his eyes and let Sam's memory wash over him. Instantly, his hand landed over his chest as he felt a new cable secure itself around his heart. It didn't just bind him to the earth, but also to Emily. Jake's breath leaped up into his throat as he saw the most beautiful face he had ever seen. Her skin glowed like rays of the sun and her lips were soft and smooth with a hint of gloss. The top half of her mouth matched the bottom as he watched a radiant smile take form. Her eyes were dark brown like rich coffee grounds. The point of her chin and the arch of her eyebrows made her face to appear like a perfect heart.

He would do anything for her. He would _be_ anything for her. Instead of the world spinning around him, all he saw was her. There was no thought of anything less. No doubt, only certainty she was everything he could ever possibly want or need.

Jake's body suddenly stopped as he stumbled into something and then felt two arms around his waist. The instant he opened his eyes, everything in his brain vanished. There was no cable holding him to anything.

He hadn't imprinted.

Relief and guilt swam around inside his gut, playing a twisted game of tag. At the moment, he wasn't sure which emotion would win. Jake didn't want to imprint even if it offered the perfect explanation for his twisted emotions. Instead, he had to accept full responsibility for what he had done.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you," he told her. He stepped back so her arms dropped from his body. Emily's shoulders slumped, and she appeared to be very disappointed. It didn't make sense.

"I get it," she whispered softly.

"No, I don't think you do," Jake took another deep breath, Sam's memory of imprinting still fresh in his mind. "I need to go."

"Be careful out there," Emily said, her eyes filled with tenderness and fear.

"Try not to worry so much, chasing vampires is the cool part of this," Jake grinned, draping one arm across her shoulders.

"If you say so," she turned giving him a hug.

Jake immediately noticed she was tall, for a woman. Her head came almost to his shoulder, which meant she was very close to 6ft tall. He liked it and smiled as he hugged her back. "See ya."

As he left her house, he prepared his mind to phase. Maybe the kiss they shared wasn't a big deal. It hadn't lasted very long and before they were laughing with one another. No harm, right?

It was what he needed to believe to relax his mind. No thoughts of guilt. No thoughts of Emily. Just thoughts of protection and the excitement of maybe being able to tear apart another leech.

He removed the borrowed shorts and within seconds he was on four paws.

 _Jacob, you were told you had the weekend off,_ Sam huffed.

 _Then genius, maybe you shouldn't have howled._ Jake rolled his eyes.

 _I was gathering the other wolves,_ Sam reasoned.

 _Ever heard of a telephone? It's this great invention…_

 _Just shut up, Jacob,_ Paul interrupted.

Jake laughed. _So, what's going on?_

 _The red-head came back, but didn't last long,_ Embry answered.

 _I think she was looking for the mate we killed,_ Jared added.

Paul snorted out a laugh. _She didn't look for very long._

 _Go home, Jacob,_ Sam ordered.

Jake could feel his anger at Sam boiling and didn't care if they knew it. The time was already late, and he felt tired so going home was a good idea. It irritated him how Sam told him to do something Jake would have done anyways.

 _Great idea, genius!_ For a second, before phasing out, Jake could feel Embry's disapproval of the way Sam treated Jake. He was thankful for the support. _See you later this weekend, Em._ Jake said to his friend and then phased out close to his home.

He made it through his first phase without thinking of Emily and honestly it wasn't difficult. Having the distraction of their leech chase was helpful, but one word from Sam and any guilt Jake felt flew from his mind. How could one person drive him insane as badly as Sam?

Once home, Jake checked in with his dad, showered, and went to bed. However, he couldn't sleep as thoughts whirled around inside of his head. Did he really want to keep pursuing Emily? The more he thought about their brief kiss, the more it seemed to him she really didn't mind. She also seemed to be disappointed when he had apologized for kissing her. It made him wonder why. An assumption was made about the imprinting bond being as powerful for the woman as it was the wolf, but what if it wasn't true? He needed to talk to Emily again and get to know her better.

A tired yawn escaped his lips and his eyes fluttered shut. It could have been a second later or hours, Jacob didn't know which, but he heard persistent tapping on his bedroom window and a whispered voice say, "Jake."

 _What on earth?_ He thought and left his bed, raised the blinds covering his window and stared into a pale face he knew well. She had one arm over her chest, her hand clenched into a fist. As she continued to tap on the window, her eyes looked around her fearfully. Seeing her breathing rapidly didn't make sense, and he didn't understand why she would be outside his window if doing so made her so scared.

"Bella," he tapped back on the glass which made her jump and a silent screamed was swallowed by a gasp.

"Oh Jake, you scared me."

"You are the one waking me up, and I scared you? Just a minute, come around to the door," Jake told her and saw her leave his window. He assumed she was able to hear him through the glass, and once he opened the front door it took her only a few minutes to have walked around.

"Jake!" Bella grinned and hugged him, which he returned happily.

"What are you doing, Bella?" Jake asked. He took her hand, and he walked easily to the couch. Bella, not so much. Her head bobbled like it was too heavy for her shoulder to carry. She swayed from side to side as her eyes tried to close on her. It scared him to death. Jake reached out and steered her to sit with him on the couch. She sat in an ungraceful plop as her legs gave out from under her. "Hey, are you okay?"

"No. I can't sleep. I'm falling back into that… that place…" Bella didn't finish, but Jake didn't need her too. He knew she was talking about her dark time after Edward left, which he also did not like thinking about. Jake remembered Charlie talking to his dad, trying to get help for her. "I had to see you. Embry said that you were friends with him again, and, you know, some other stuff, and I just needed to hear it all from you."

Jake grinned because he was right and Bella wouldn't listen to anyone, but him. Now was his chance to push her away, but he didn't want to. He opened his mouth to speak and suddenly, it felt like his vocal chords forgot how to function.

 _What was happening?_

He coughed to try to clear his throat, but it didn't help.

It felt like some invisible hand had wrapped their fingers around his vocal chords. It didn't hurt, but was disturbing and extremely annoying. He knew exactly whose hand it belonged to.

 _Damn you, Sam!_

"Jake, what's wrong?" Bella said. She touched his short hair and broad shoulders. He was only wearing shorts and she could tell he had transformed while being too "sick" to call. "Something isn't right, I don't think you were ever sick."

Sam's lack of trust in Jake was backfiring and instead of him being able to say anything convincing he was sputtering like an idiot and practically confirming to her something was wrong. He had to say something whether it be truth or a lie. As he thought about lying, he could feel his throat relax. His answer had been found, of course Sam would want him to lie.

"I was sick Bella. I could hardly move and every part of my body hurt." Okay, so maybe it was only for a day, but it was true and a lie, a half truth. More half truths could be key to unlocking the hold on him which prevented him from communicating normally.

"Okay, but you clearly aren't sick anymore, unless it is this weird fever." She touched his cheek and reached for his forehead, but Jake leaned his head back.

"It's…" Once again Jake couldn't speak. _Sam and your stupid gag order_. Jake wasn't going to tell her anything he shouldn't, but it was like the wolf in him panicked and wouldn't let him say anything. He took several deep breaths. "I want to explain…" Immediately, he was cut off again and his chest growled in frustration.

"Whoa, what was that?" Bella's eyes widened, and she leaned forward and then back, like she couldn't decide if she wanted to get closer to try to figure it out or to get the heck out of there.

Jake released a deep sigh. "I can't do it."

"Do what?"

"Tell you…" Jake coughed again, "my secret."

"So there is a secret. I knew it!"

Jake tried to nod, but the alpha order affected his body as well and suddenly, he was rigidly still. The only part of him able to move was his chest as it rose and lowered with each breath he took.

"You… do… know… it," Jake said slowly, his whole body shaking as he fought against the order controlling his body. "Just try… to remember. I've already told you… everything."

"When?" Bella asked.

Jake thought about their meeting on the beach and instantly he was released from the order. He smiled. It seemed the order only applied to the wolf secret. "On the beach, you were flirting with me. Remember?" Jake smirked at the memory.

"Yes, I remember," Bella said, her cheek reddening with embarrassment.

"Ha, I knew you were flirting. Quil wouldn't believe me and now owes me five bucks."

"Focus, Jake," Bella shook his arm to capture his attention again. "I don't think my feeble attempt at flirting is your big secret."

Talking in riddles had worked. It also helped thinking about the other events of the day. Jake thought maybe if he wove together bits of the important secret with the mundane then he could continue to speak. "Of course not, my secret is huge," he could feel his body tighten and quickly added, "like your truck. We talked about your truck and how I built it before selling it to your dad."

Bella's eyes blinked rapidly as if she tried to piece together the scattered clues. Unfortunately Jake looked into the most confused face he had ever seen. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

A long howl echoed in the distance. Jake paused and listened. Was he supposed to respond? No, Sam made it clear he had the weekend off. So he decided to ignore the howl, but it felt disturbing how Sam seemed to have a sixth sense about Jake's activities. First it was kissing Emily, and now it was talking to Bella.

Was it possible for Sam to know? Some strange alpha gift? Jake thought about it again. No, if Sam knew about Emily he would have said or done something. Sam was his usual pain-in-the-ass self. Jake decided to return to his original decision and ignore the howl since he was off duty.

Jake reached out and smoothe out Bella's messy hair and then placed each hand on her cheeks. Their eyes locked together as she listened carefully to him. Talking in riddles gave him the ability to speak, but it didn't really help if she couldn't get past the babbling to what he really needed to say.

"Bella, I know you can relate because you have had the same secret. A secret you can't tell anyone, not even me."

Bella's eyes widen as she shook her head. "No, I don't."

Jake broke eye contact with her and his arms fell from his face. He glared at the floor because it was too painful to look at her. She was still protecting them. After they turned her life upside down and left her, she still protected them. "Then listen closely Bella. You came here to hear it from me. We can't be friends anymore."

"Jake, no! I need you!"

"No you don't, you can make other friends. That is all we are anyways."

Once again a long howl could be heard, this time close enough for Bella to hear. She darted her head around for a moment, but then took his hand and threaded her fingers with his. "No, we aren't, Jake. There is something in me that is connected to you in a way that I don't understand. Maybe if we leave, just you and me, we can figure it out."

"Come on, Bella! What is your deal with wanting to live together? As tempting as that may be, I can't just run away. I have responsibilities. And while that was a great attempt at distracting me, Bella, you have a loyalty to a bunch of bloodsuckers that I can't complete with."

Maybe Jake shouldn't have been quite so obvious about knowing what the Cullens were, but he was tired of being vague. Jake hadn't said anything he hadn't already told her.

"What?" She squeaked, jerking her hand from Jake's. "How…?" She shook her head, her eyes rapidly blinking again as she tried to think.

"What made me believe? How did I figure it out? Is that what you are trying to ask Bella?"

She nodded her head, her brain too scattered to give a coherent answer.

"Figure out my secret, and then you will have your answer. In the meantime, I need you to not come here. I can't see you."

"Why not?"

"It isn't safe, especially at night."

"Oh my gosh, you're right. How could I have been so careless? She could have followed me here." Bella leaped from the couch, but didn't take into consideration how weak her legs were and nose dived towards the floor.

"Jeez, Bella," Jake wrapped both arm around her waist and leaned her against his side. "Who is she that you are running from?"

"Victoria, uhm, you don't know her. At least I don't think you do," she paused for a moment to think and shook her head.

"Victoria? Okay?"

Bella shifted to look up at his face, keeping her arm around his waist for balance. "Just know, I'm going to figure this out. I want you back and if figuring out your secret is what I need to do, then I will."

It warmed his heart she still wanted to be his friend. He reached out his hand and wrapped it around her cold, tiny hand. "Good luck, Bells,"

Even being a complete mess from it being the middle of the night, Bella was still beautiful to Jake. He didn't want her to leave, especially not knowing when he would see her again. Before he could talk himself out of it, he pulled her towards him and in an instant she was pressed against his chest.

"Just in case," he muttered, his lips brushing her hair as he spoke. He breathed in her scent and held her close.

"Can't — breathe!" She gasped.

Afraid he was going to hurt her, he quickly loosened his grip on her. She was so fragile, and he left one hand at her waist to keep her steady. Gently he guided her back outside to her truck, opened the door, and helped her inside.

A third time a wolf howled and seemed to be closer than before. Bella shuddered. "You really do have a wolf problem that you should probably check out."

"Yeah, I know. There is a black one in particular that is especially annoying."

"Be safe, okay," Bella warned.

Jake chuckled. "I will. Are you sure you are safe to drive?"

"Yeah, I'll keep the windows down to keep myself awake. Besides, I have a mystery to solve." Bella gave him a determined smile which Jake appreciated.

"That you do."

Jake watched her truck until it was out of sight. He knew he had the weekend off, but three howls seemed a little excessive if it was simply for the other wolves. Besides, if Sam didn't want him included then he could always phase back out, but he felt like he owed it to his brothers to check and make sure everything was alright.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Jake ran behind his garage, ditched his shorts there, and instantly phased to have four legs under him. With his sensitive wolf ears he heard the growls and howls just past the hot springs.

 _Where the hell have you been Jacob?_ Sam yelled.

 _I distinctly remember you telling me to GO HOME! What do you mean where have I been? Use your freaking brain and figure it out!_

Sam roared out a ferocious growl. _Get here now!_

Jake angrily looked through his brother's thoughts to figure out what was going on. They had all been chasing the red head. As Jake watched, he noticed a distinct pattern, and he instantly realized she was distracting them from something..

 _Dammit, he's right!_ Paul growled.

 _So then, what has she been keeping us away from?_ Embry asked.

Jared did the same thing Jake did and mentally retraced their path. _The resort, each time we have gone that direction she has given us a clear trail to follow in another direction._

 _To the resort!_ Sam declared.

 _Thank you, Captain Obvious,_ Jake mumbled.

Together the wolves raced towards the resort. Due to the red head misleading the rest of the pack, Jake was actually closest to the resort and began sniffing through the area. He smelled her scent in the air, which meant she was staying high in the trees, making it difficult to track her.

 _There is something else here,_ Jake reported.

 _Let's all stick together, I'm not really sure what the new smell will mean for us. So everyone pay attention,_ Sam ordered.

Their eyes searched through the trees as they allowed their nose to lead their feet. Sam, Jared, Paul and Embry caught up with Jake, flying together like one massive bullet, streaming through the air.

Jake hated they were so close to the resort because it made him feel vulnerable and exposed. They made sure to pass by each of the small cabins. The leech's smell was throughout them, thankfully there weren't any campers around. The reports of missing people were really hurting the tourism and hiking businesses in the area. Jake guessed the resort was not doing any better due to it being surrounded by forest and ocean.

They went past the A-frame rental houses and headed towards the RV Park when the leech scent hit them in the face. It followed the road and headed toward the beach.

 _I see a tent just up ahead,_ Jared announced.

Through Jared's eyes, Jake saw a two room tent and the glimmer of the ocean ten feet to the left. Inside the tent he heard someone snoring. The average camper might find the setting of woods and water beautiful, but people were getting attacked. What ever happened to self-preservation?

 _Jared can you see the bloodsuckers?_ Sam asked.

 _No,_ Jared responded.

 _I smell blood,_ Embry added. Its heavy rusty scent filled the air.

 _I can see them,_ Sam stated.

She was crouched on the ground in a protective position as another was bent over the body of a man, about three yards from the tent.

 _Sam, what do we do with two of them?_ Paul asked.

 _We just have to watch our backs more carefully. We still easily outnumber them. Paul and Jared stay together and Embry and Jacob do the same. I'll help whoever needs it,_ Sam instructed.

They all nodded, appreciative of the partnership. There was no doubt they would work best as small teams. They stayed together, slowly approaching the pair, not wanting to divide unless needed.

Surrounding the leeches were several railroad ties, used for people to sit on while enjoying the ocean. It didn't take long before the female caught their scent and knew they were near. The other was fully distracted with its kill, which Paul and Jared were closest too. They thought they would try to take advantage of the distraction blood lust naturally caused.

Together, they leaped closer, but the female grabbed a thick railroad tie and she threw it into Paul and Jared. The pair of wolves grunted.

 _You guys, okay?_ Sam asked.

 _Bitch!_ Paul growled, his paw taking most of the hit and was sore, but he wasn't planning on stopping any time soon.

The male leech immediately dropped his meal and the dead man's head slumped to the ground next to his hunting rifle and nighttime goggles.

 _Well at least the rifle explains what he is doing out in the middle of the night,_ Jake said.

 _Do you think he is hunting us?_ Paul asked

 _Possibly the town is pretty freaked out right now. It won't surprise me if half of them are out soon,_ Sam answered.

The leech looked up with blood pouring down his chin and his eyes were as bright as rubies compared to his young pale face. He was clearly terrified as his eyes took in all five of them and he began to scream.

As his screams filled the air, someone stirred inside the tent, and they heard the person inside ruffle their sleeping bag and it sounded like they were coming out.

"Shut up, you idiot." She hissed at him.

"I'm sorry, Victoria." He cried as he cowered behind her.

"I told you I would always keep you safe." She reached out and brushed her fingers through his blond hair, it seemed to be such a loving tender gesture. "You're too important to let a bunch of mutts get in the way." Her hand rested on his chin, cupping his cheek with her fingers. He looked into her eyes with such devotion, like he trusted her with his life.

 _Victoria, I know that name,_ Jake said to himself, temporarily forgetting his brothers could hear his thoughts. _Bella, thought someone was after her named Victoria. It's her!_

 _The leech is after Bella?_ Embry asked.

 _That is so disgusting._ Paul said, watching the display of affection between the two leeches.

 _Where do you think her little rug rat came from?_ Jared asked.

 _Maybe she made him._ Embry suggested.

 _Probably_. Sam agreed, secretly watching Jake's thoughts. _When did you talk to Bella, Jacob?_ Before Jake could think of a lie, he thought of Bella visiting him earlier. _Dammit, Jacob._ Sam snarled, exposing his teeth.

 _I didn't go to her, she came to me!_ Jacob growled in return.

Then, from inside the tent, they heard the zipper and a messy head of long brown hair came out. Both of the leeches sniffed the air and the red head's eyes went completely black. Jake guessed the one in the tent was meant to be hers.

 _Sam?_ Jared asked, indicating towards the tent opening.

 _I see it,_ Sam affirmed. _Jacob, we are not done with this conversation. Embry I want you to keep your eyes on the person, protect her no matter what._

 _What if he gets seen?_ Jake asked.

 _Shut up, Jacob!_ Paul sneered.

 _Stop it! Everyone! Protection is more important than secrecy, and she won't know that we are human, but just rather large wolves,_ Sam explained.

 _And thanks to Bella the whole area already knows about freakishly large wolves,_ Paul added.

A low growl rumbled in Jake's throat. _What did you expect her to do when she saw us? Maybe if someone had let me talk to her, then I could have stopped her from saying anything._

 _Cut it out guys._ Sam ordered. _Paul, Jared and Jacob keep your eyes on the pair of leeches I fully expect them to run to the water. They are already moving that direction._

Together the pack all growled fiercely, and the sound echoed all around them as Embry flung himself directly in the path of the woman to keep her safe from the leeches. Jake circled within the trees right behind Paul.

"Take the body! Run!" The red head screamed. The young blond leech reached out and grabbed the body in front of him, and like Sam predicted they headed straight for the ocean. Sam, Paul, and Jake chased after them, but knew their efforts would be worthless with the water so close. Vampires do not have to breathe, which gives them a huge advantage in the water.

The woman from the tent yelled, and a look of horror went across her face as it was clear she saw the streak of gray across in front of her. She ducked back into the tent, and they heard her fumbling with what sounded like her rifle. The chamber clicked as she put the bolt in place and the long barrel poked out from the tent.

 _Ah, crap she's loaded,_ Embry called.

 _Jared, I want you to stay with Embry and keep your eyes on her while the rest of us patrol the water's border. Both of you, be extremely careful we have no idea how good of a shot she is,_ Sam ordered.

One bullet rang out into the night, she didn't seem to be aiming at anything in particular, which made her more dangerous than if she were aiming. Silently, Jared and Embry stayed out of sight and Sam, Paul, and Jake spent the next few hours going up and down the coast.

 _Jacob, what was that about Victoria?_ Sam asked.

 _It was something Bella told me. She thought someone would be after her. Sam, she needs protection,_ Jake answered.

 _Why didn't you mention this before?_ Paul asked.

 _I did. At the bonfire, I said that we should be protecting her._

 _You didn't say that Bella was the leech's target,_ Sam clarified.

 _I didn't know that then._

 _How were you able to see her? I ordered you away from her,_ Sam said.

 _I already told you, SHE came to me. It is not like I asked her to, but once again, I told you that it needed to be ME who talked to her. She needed to hear it from me that we couldn't be friends, and that is what I told her._

 _Anything else?_ Sam questioned.

 _I wasn't able to say anything else,_ Jake answered and showed them him coughing and trying to speak.

Paul barked out a laugh.

Jake remained calm and was able to keep from mentioning anything about a secret or his hints to help Bella figure it out. However, he could feel Sam poking around in his brain, searching for clues.

 _I don't trust you, Jacob, and until I do, I want you to stay at my house instead of yours,_ Sam instructed.

 _Excuse me?_ Jake questioned. _I don't need a babysitter._

 _I disagree,_ Sam interjected.

 _What about my dad? I can't just leave him._

 _Harry told me that he would help with him any time. All I have to do is ask,_ Sam countered.

 _Fine._ Jake agreed. _But what about Bella? Someone should be watching her, and it might as well be me._

 _NO!_ Sam roared. _I don't want you even close to her!_

Jake growled in frustration.

 _I'll do it!_ Embry volunteered.

 _Why?_ Paul asked him.

 _Because I think Jake is right. If Bella is the target, then she should be protected._

 _If Bella is the target, then shouldn't that make capturing the leech easier. We now know where she is trying to go_ , Jared said.

 _Bella is not bait!_ Jake interrupted.

 _That is not a bad idea_ , Paul admitted.

Sam listened, his mind racing with different options. Jake watched Sam's thoughts, until it became clear he hadn't reached a decision yet.

Another gun shot ricocheted through the night.

 _I need more time to think. Embry and Jared, are you guys still okay?_ Sam asked.

 _Yes,_ Jared answered. _She's been calling out to the man for half an hour and just made it back to her truck. I think that will be her last shot fired._

 _I heard her mumbling about going back to town for more help,_ Embry added.

 _We need to get out of here, it is not safe. It won't take long for the forest to be full of people. If that is the case, the leech might not return because of it being harder for her to hide. Everyone go home, except Jacob. You are going to my house._

Jake released a deep sigh and figured there could be worst places for him to stay for a while. He started to think of Emily and quickly shifted his mind to food. It made sense, right? Emily was always making food and there wasn't a single wolf who didn't enjoy her cooking. He remembered thinking there might be more to her cooking than just taking care of them and figured living there might help to figure it out.

 _Alright,_ Jake reluctantly agreed.

 _Go home, get some clothes and whatever else you need and I'll see you at my house in an hour._

The pack said nothing more as they each scattered to their own home. Once back at his house, Jake went inside and began to gather some clothes and other necessities, cramming them into a random sack. He thought about waking up his dad to tell him what was going on, but honestly didn't know what to say. Sam would have to explain the messed up situation.

It didn't take Jake long, and he carried his stuff out to the Rabbit and drove it to Sam and Emily's home. "Well, this should be interesting," Jake mumbled to himself. He left his car parked in front of the house and held his bag.

As he walked past the kitchen window, he saw Emily and Sam together. Jake looked through his mind of memories of Sam and Emily and realized he had very few memories that didn't come from Sam. It made him curious about their relationship and he watched them.

Sam's hair appeared wet, so Jake assumed he had come home and then showered and hadn't been out for very long. Emily's soft robe came down to her knees, covering the rest of her body. Sam's arms were around her waist as she moved her arms over the counter. Jake couldn't tell what, but assumed she was preparing something to eat.

It made him smile to think of how well she took care of them. He wondered if Sam had told her they were expecting a house guest. Maybe it was the reason the two of them weren't already in bed. Some of the memories Sam had shared were rather intimate and Jake felt thankful he wasn't walking in on something else. He shuddered at the thought and took the few additional steps needed to get to the door and open it.

Immediately, Sam looked at the door and then Emily did as well. Neither looked surprised to see him.

"Welcome, Jake," Emily said with a smile.

"Thank you," Jake replied.

Sam silently took his plate of food to the table and sat down. Emily held two plates and followed Sam. "This one, is for you," she said to Jake setting the extra dish across from herself.

"Okay, just a minute." Jake took his bag of clothes to the spare room and removed his shoes to be more comfortable. Then he returned to the table, took his seat, and began to eat. He still wanted to observe Sam and Emily together. They were mostly quiet as they ate. Emily finished first and leaned her head on his shoulder. Sam smiled at her and kissed her head. Everything about them appeared to be a perfectly happy couple. Then why had Emily kissed him? It didn't make sense.

While sitting at the table, Jake thought of another time when he had shared lunch with them and a playful game of footsie had been fought. At the time, Jake assumed it was Emily's way of making him feel better for stepping on her. Or maybe, she was simply being friendly. However, there was something about her, after thinking about it, seemed flirty to him.

Curiously, Jake moved his foot to be closer to Emily's. Under the table he found her ankle and wiggled his toes against her. A slow smile crept across her face as her lips were pressed tightly together to keep the giggle at bay. Her eyes found Jake, and he admired their coffee brown color and the spark of mischievousness, which made her fun. Jake had no doubt she enjoyed their playfulness, but was she just having fun? Was there nothing more to it?

Emily released a deep sigh and her head still rested heavily against Sam's shoulder. There was no clock in sight, but Jake could see the sky, starting to awaken. He knew Sam had been up most of the night with the other wolves and he wondered about Emily.

"Do you normally get up so early?" Jake asked her.

"No, but in this case I was already awake. I couldn't sleep."

"Why is that?" Sam asked.

"It just happens sometimes, usually when you are away."

Jake watched and listened to them. In Sam's eyes, he could see how concerned Sam was for her. Or maybe, Jake just assumed Sam felt concerned because it was how he felt.

"I can have someone stay with you. Maybe Jacob here, it'll keep him from doing something stupid."

"Sam!" Emily reprimanded, at the same time Jake frowned.

While Jake liked the idea of getting to know Emily better, living with Sam was proving to be quite difficult and it had only been a few minutes. After a few weeks, Jake would lose his mind.

"Exactly how long do you want me to stay here?" Jake asked.

"Until the red head is destroyed."

"That could take forever at this rate," Jake said with a sigh.

"Not with your new information. We can do this."

"What new information?" Emily asked.

Jake started to answer her, but Sam beat him to it. "Bella came to see him earlier this evening. Apparently, she knows the leech and thinks she might be coming after her."

"That's terrible," Emily said.

Jake gave her an appreciative smile. So few people understood him and Bella, and their awkward stage between friendship and something more. Bella was important to Jake, even if she never became more than his friend.

"I'm serious about her not being bait," Jake told Sam.

"I know," Sam acknowledged, "but no promises."


	9. Chapter 8

C **hapter 8**

Jake sat at the kitchen table and finished eating his breakfast while Sam hugged and whispered to Emily. He could have heard what Sam said if he wanted to, but after one long week of having Sam on his tail all the time, Jake was simply thankful Sam would be leaving for a couple of hours. When Jake moved in with Sam and Emily, he had no idea Sam would take his babysitting duties so seriously.

It was the most annoying experience of his life, but finally Sam decided Jared, Paul, and Embry needed a break from patrols and he would fill their shoes, or paws in this case. Jake kept his mouth as full as possible to keep from saying the sarcastic remarks lingering on the tip of his tongue. If he ran out of food, he would eat his tongue to keep him from saying anything at all. He needed to be away from Sam like he needed air to breathe.

Finally he heard the front door shut behind him and Jake took a much-needed breath.

"Good grief, I thought he would never leave," Emily said with a sigh.

"Driving you crazy, too?" Jake questioned.

"Yes, I have never had him here for so long. There has always been something pack related to keep him away. Whatever you all did on your last run, it must have really scared that leech because it hasn't been this calm in a long time."

Jake took his plate to the sink and leaned against the counter. "I never thought I would wish for vampire activity, but damn…"

"I know," Emily giggled and took his plate to wash it.

"You didn't have to do that. I do know how to wash a plate you know." Jake reached for the dish, but Emily playfully kept it away from his reach.

"I have seen you do it." Emily smiled.

About the only time Sam wasn't breathing down her neck was after he finished eating. Sam would wander over to the couch and sometimes take a short nap with a full belly. Jake would help Emily, which often resulted in water being sprayed on one another and lots of laughter. Granted the whole kitchen had to be mopped up by the time they were finished, but it was a lot of fun.

Side by side, Emily washed and Jake rinsed and sat the dishes on the rack to air dry. Once finished, Jake turned to Emily and used to the front of her shirt as a towel.

"Hey!" Emily protested with a huge grin on her face.

"Don't 'hey' me. If you didn't want me to do it, then there would have been a towel to use instead."

"The towels are being washed, but you do have a nice idea." Emily wiped her hands on Jake's chest. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and she pressed her hands into the heat of his skin.

Jake leaned into her touch and closed his eyes. Her hands were wet, but warm from the dishwater and his body absorbed the moisture easily. Everything about Emily was easy. She was by far the best part of his week. The long glances they shared helped him realize she wanted more. Deep sighs let him know she was bored. Slumped shoulders meant she was tired.

Her forehead rested against his shoulder and one of his arms snaked its way around her waist. Whoever came up with the saying 'girls were made of sugar and spice' must have known Emily. She always smelled delicious and Jake breathed her in.

"Let's take a break," Emily suggested and nodded to the couch.

"Agreed, but I like it here." Jake lifted Emily, so she sat on the counter and he stood between her legs. "Just relax," he told her

Jake brushed her long hair from her face and bound it loosely with a hair tie. One of the advantages to once having long hair, he knew what to do with it. He rubbed her back and shoulders, her thin robe revealing tiny shorts and a tank top. She closed her eyes and enjoyed his touch.

With one tug of her robe, more of her skin was accessible. His hands danced over her, torn between feeling her skin and wanting to touch what was still covered by clothing.

Emily opened her eyes and saw the hunger in Jake's eyes. Without hesitation, she leaned forward to press her lips to his. It felt like an eternity had passed since their first kiss. That kiss had been impulsive and brief, leaving Jake to wonder if it actually happened. The kiss they shared now was full of passion and longing.

"Jake…" she whispered softly.

He loved hearing his name roll off her tongue. It made him want to leave her mouth free to say it again. His lips explored her neck, sucking on her flesh.

Emily moaned, pulling his hair to guide his lips back to her. As their mouths moved together, his body pulsed with tenderness and want. Tongues explored new and uncharted territory. Electricity charged between them, heightening every sensation. He felt a smile break free between each tender kiss, making him want to kiss her again, so he did.

His hands found her hips and pressed her into him. He had never felt anything like it and wanted to feel it repeatedly. Each time was better than the time before. Emily had more curves and valleys than Jake knew what to do with, but he was determined to figure it out.

The thin straps of her tank top fell down her shoulders and Jake helped them the rest of the way down her arm. He marveled at her beautiful breasts with perky tips, begging to be played with, so he did. Through her moans of encouragement he learned what she liked best and instantly became his favorites as well.

"Oh god… Emily…" Jake moaned.

"Jacob..." He heard off in the distance.

The only thing Jake felt was her hand on his length. His hips bucked up against her instinctively and his head fell back. He felt like he could hardly breathe and heard his name said again. For some reason it alternated between Jake and Jacob.

"Jacob!"

"Jake…"

"Jacob!"

"Jake…"

"Jacob!"

Jake awoke with a jolt. He looked around the guest room, his eyes finally focusing on Sam, standing in the doorway.

"Jacob, get up! We have patrols in an hour," Sam instructed.

"Alright, get out of here!" Jake took a much needed breath and prayed the bulge in his shorts wasn't as noticeable as it felt to him. He had only been at Sam's for two days, but it was seriously the longest days of his life. Not phasing and having Sam see his intense dreams about Emily made the past few days tolerable.

The first night Jake thought it was some sort of fluke, but then when he had the same dream again, he began to get concerned. Okay, so maybe it wasn't the exact same dream, but it was pretty damn similar. If Sam hadn't woken him up when he did Jake would have made a mess in his shorts again.

Sam shut the door behind him and Jake made it to the bathroom. He needed a cold shower if he had a chance of keeping his thoughts to himself. During his stay with Sam and Emily, Jake had managed to be as normal as possible. Emily constantly cooked, and he offered to help, but she declined unless she actually needed another hand to help with something.

When he did help, it was usually for only a few minutes. Jake felt awkward, like he was invading her space. Emily thanked him and then it was back to the couch. Once he thought about Emily tickling him and he began to chuckle, which resulted in Sam raising his eyebrow at Jake in confusion.

Most of the time, Jake spent his day watching TV or movies and while he wasn't looking forward to phasing with Sam, he was thankful for a change of scenery. After showering, Jake dressed in shorts and went out to get some food. Emily kept a tray of 'free for all' baked goods for the wolves for whenever they were hungry. He grabbed a couple of muffins, an apple and helped himself to a tall glass of milk.

"Thief," Emily teased.

Jake jumped and spilled the milk on the counter. "Sorry, I didn't hear you come," he stammered and reached for a rag.

Emily reached for the same rag and their fingers met. "You scare easily, Jacob." She smiled and Jake simply nodded his head not sure of what to say or do. He looked around and noticed they were alone for the first time since Jake moved in. "Where's Sam?"

"He already went out."

"Fantastic," Jake said with a smile.

Emily giggled softly.

Jake felt a creepy sense of deja vu flutter across his mind as everything seemed oddly similar to the dream he had just experienced. Did it seem like Emily was more relaxed without Sam in the room? Maybe he was imagining it, wishful thinking on Jake's part. He quickly ate his breakfast and convinced himself it was his imagination.

"As soon as you finish, Sam wants to see you outside," Emily added.

Jake nodded. Yes, reality was back. Of course Sam wanted to see him as soon as possible, and even if he didn't, there was no way Emily would randomly decide to hump Jake in the middle of the kitchen. He felt himself get a little excited at the thought and knew he desperately needed to think of something else. Emily propping herself on the countertop to eat her banana wasn't helping Jake's obvious situation.

It wasn't the first time Jake noticed the similarities between a banana and a particular part of his anatomy, but it was the first time he thought he might actually die watching the fruit be eaten.

 _Sam is going to kill me!_ Jake thought, closing his eyes, trying to think of anything or anyone instead of Emily.

"Hey Jake," Emily said.

He slowly opened his eyes to look at her, having no idea what she would want to say to him. "Yeah?"

"Do you like being here?"

The question was not an easy one, and he had to pause a moment before answering.. "I don't know, I guess that is hard to answer. I'm sure you can tell Sam and I don't exactly get along well, and I don't like _having_ to be here. I feel like I have responsibilities to my dad and Bella's safety which other people are having to do for me instead of myself. I would much rather visit because I want to be here then be babysat." He gave her a pleasant smile which she returned.

"I have enjoyed you being here."

"What have you enjoyed about it?"

Her legs swung out in front of her as she sat thoughtfully. The stillness felt comforting, but the silence hung over him until he thought he would burst from curiosity. For the past two days, Jake had thought more of Emily than almost anyone else. He had observed her and could read her emotions and feel the words on the tip of her tongue, begging to be released. Jake wasn't the best at understanding women, but he knew he was getting some seriously mixed signals coming from her. When they did simple tasks together, her lips would smirk and a mischievous spark danced across her eyes.

He wanted to understand her better and waited patiently.

Right as Emily opened her mouth, Sam walked through the front door. "False alarm."

Jake sighed and ran his hand through his short hair. Sam's timing couldn't have been worse. He really wanted to know what Emily had been about to say. For a brief second, Emily made direct eye contact with Jake and then she leapt from the counter.

"What do you mean?" Emily asked Sam.

"Jared found a trail of blood and thought it might have been her, but it was an animal."

"So, no patrolling?" Jake asked.

"Nope."

Jake had the strangest mixture of relief and dread wash over him. He didn't look forward to phasing and then being skinned alive or losing valuable parts of his body, but he also really liked the idea of doing something besides watch TV all day.

"That's great and all, but Sam, I need a break. Give Embry or Paul some relief and I'll patrol with Jared."

"There is nothing out there, I don't need two wolves out at the same time. Besides the forest is full of hunters right now. It is not safe. If you are so desperate to patrol, what the hell took you so long to get out the door?" Sam challenged.

Unfortunately, Sam had asked a very good question. It wasn't really being on four legs Jake needed so much as some space from them both. Before he could think of anything to say, Emily stepped in.

"Calm down, Sam. I was asking him some questions. He would have met up with you soon."

The moment Emily spoke there was a sudden change in Sam's demeanor. Sam walked towards her and took both of her hands in his. "Did you need something?"

Jake felt like he was watching Sam imprint all over again, even though it wasn't possible. He could see Sam's need to please his imprint. Emily had him completely at her mercy. Sam was giving her the opportunity to ask anything of him and it would be granted. Jake looked at Emily, curious what she would do.

"No, I don't need anything, except for you to calm down. I was asking Jacob some questions, and it is my fault he didn't come sooner."

Sam gave her a hug, cradling her head against his shoulder. "Oh, it's okay Em." He kissed her hair and then gently lifted her face to look at him. "Just, next time maybe, wait until later. When I tell my pack what to do, I need to know it will happen. Okay?"

Jake couldn't decide if he was horrified or disgusted by the display in front of him. It was clear Emily had Sam by his jewels and could do whatever she wanted with them, and yet Sam babied her and treated her like she couldn't handle anything on her own. Living like that all the time would drive Jake insane and he wondered how Emily dealt with it all so calmly.

"Try not to worry so much," Emily replied, giving Sam a quick kiss on his lips.

Without another word, she turned back to the kitchen. Jake didn't know what she was about to make, but he noticed her hands tremble slightly as she measured this and that. It reminded him of when he first had the crazy plan to separate her from Sam. When Jake had asked her about her past, she got nervous and went to the kitchen. It was a stress reliever for her. Jake still didn't know what caused her anxiety. Based on how much she cooked, it had to be something huge.

Before he could ask her anything, Jared and Paul came to the house. They talked to Sam and Jake could see they were great friends. It made him feel like an outsider.

"Where is Embry?" Jake asked them.

"Taking care of your leech lover," Paul sneered.

Jake glared and started to say something when Jared did first. "Is that really necessary?" Jared asked, shaking his head.

"Is he still volunteering or have you actually acknowledged she does need protecting?" Jake asked Sam.

"I have added her to our patrol route," Sam answered.

"Good." Jake released a deep breath.

Emily watched them as she kneaded the flour to make bread. Her strong hands beat into the dough and it looked like something Jake would like to do.

"Want some help?" He asked.

"I got it," Emily responded.

"Please," Jake added.

Emily gave a simple nod of understanding and Jake moved towards her. He had never made bread before and she showed him what to do. As his hands kneaded the dough, Emily sprinkled flour and other spices for him to mix in. Some cinnamon landed on his arm and Jake lifted it towards Emily, blowing the spice towards her.

She giggled. "You are going to make me smell."

Jake laughed. "You already do."

"What? I do not!" Her face grimaced as she smacked his shoulder, leaving behind a floured hand print.

"Yes, you do, but not bad. You smell amazing." Jake stepped closer to her and took a deep breath. "It's like fresh baked awesomeness."

Emily's cheeks reddened. "Thank you." She turned her head to look at him and for a moment their eyes locked. Jake's senses heightened as he felt their arms touch each other. His breath caught in his throat and he heard the beats of her heart accelerate. Emily's eyes roamed over his face and she licked her dry lips.

He felt the same impulse to kiss her seep deep into his bones and he didn't know what to do. After the dreams he had, the temptation had never been greater, but they were not alone. In the back of his mind, his sensitive wolf ears heard Sam, Paul and Jared talking to each other and knew he had to keep his actions in check.

"What is this?" Jake whispered, gesturing between them. The words leaving his lips were so soft for a moment he wasn't sure if Emily had actually heard him.

Emily's teeth found her lower lip, and she quietly shook her head, taking a step back. Jake didn't want her to leave and gently took her arm. Looking back at him, he saw shock, but the most troubling of all, he saw fear.

"I'm sorry," he quickly let go of her arm.

"Don't be," Emily insisted.

"I can see it, Em," he challenged.

Emily ran a shaking hand through her long hair to calm down the stray hairs which had found themselves in a disarray around her head.

"It is not what you think."

"Then what is it?" Jake asked.

"We can't talk here." Emily looked over at Sam in the other room and then back at Jake.

Jake nodded in agreement as different ideas of what to do swam inside his mind. He didn't need to be trapped inside the house. Sam had over stepped in his role as alpha. Why did it take Jake so long to decide he didn't have to do everything Sam wanted? Jake didn't want to be constantly difficult and butt-heads with Sam, but he was going out whether Sam liked it or not.

"Outside," Jake whispered to Emily.

She nodded her head, placing the kneaded dough in the bread pan to rise.

Jake didn't say a word as he washed his hands at the sink and then walked out the front door.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Jacob Black! You get back in this house!" Sam yelled loudly.

Jake felt the anger start at his fingertips and simmer within his blood to every fiber of his body. He'd had enough! One foot moved after the other with every intention of barging back inside the house with specific instructions of where Sam could go and how Jake would like to help him get there.

"Samuel Uley, you are not his father!" Emily yelled in response. Her hands were firmly planted on her hips as she glared at him. "The role of alpha does not mean you dictate every move of his life. If you must know, Jacob is going to the grocery store with me."

Sam had a remorseful puppy dog look for doing something to upset his imprint. Paul had the good sense to at least cover his mouth as he laughed and Jared remained silent. As a fellow imprinted wolf, Jared understood how Sam felt and even if he thought it was humorous, he knew Sam wouldn't think so.

Jake jerked opened the front door and let the nasty response he had planned float from his mind. There was nothing he could say which would have had a bigger impact than Emily's words.

She grabbed her purse and listened to Sam's apologies, but said nothing more. Once out the door Jacob followed her to her car.

"Sorry," Emily said with a heavy sigh.

"It's okay. It was more effective than what I wanted to do. So, to the grocery store?"

"Something like that." Emily gave him a smile and started up her car. It sounded like something had died in there long ago and had slowly rotted out what was left of her car. Jake grimaced as black smoke billowed from the hood, screeching like the protests of a wet cat could be heard as the car tried to resurrect itself.

"Damn, Emily… Remind me to look at your car when we get back."

"Thanks, it has been on my to-do list for some time."

"Obviously."

Emily drove over the gravel roads which wound through the trees until they approached town and had the option of asphalt. However, she stayed on the back roads, making it obvious to Jake they were not going to the grocery store.

He was familiar with all of La Push and remembered riding with Bella on some of these same roads, so he wasn't worried about where they were going. While looking out the window, the sun peered through the dark clouds. There seemed to be a battle of wills between the rain and the sun, typically the rain won out, but the sun seemed determined.

The sky seemed reflective of Jake's life right now. Sam was the rain. Everyone could see it coming and since it rained so often, it was a sure thing most of the time. As much as the land needed the rain, too much and dirt roads became destroyed. It took the sun coming out to fix the damage the rain had done.

Jake's mother often called him "Sunshine" and Billy did the same from time to time. His smile could brighten the darkest of rooms and he wondered if Emily ever thought of him as the sun. Was it difficult for the sun to break through the clouds? Maybe it was the cloud's choice, and they actually divided in order for the sun to peek through.

Emily came to a stop under a canopy of tall pine trees and gave the wheezing car a break. Jake looked at her and patiently waited. He knew they would eventually get to saying what they needed to. Sam wasn't around to interrupt them. However, what if Emily was also waiting on him? Did he need to say something to get things started?

"So, uhm, you feel it, too?" Emily asked.

"I guess, I just, I don't understand what _it_ is," Jake answered. "Think about it Emily, why would you give me the time of day?"

"Because you have given it to me. You have made me feel visible." Emily smiled appreciatively.

"You aren't invisible and we all think the world of you. Trust me, I have heard it all."

"Maybe you have, but I haven't. Mostly you all come to eat and hang out with Sam, and then you go home to your house."

"Going home would be nice," Jake mumbled softly.

Emily shifted in her seat as she placed her hand on Jake's. It was a simple gesture, but still appreciated, showing Jake what Emily meant by feeling neglected. Jake did not see anyone other than Sam touch Emily.

For a moment, he thought about what that would be like. Jake naturally hugged his friends and remembered the first time Bella visited he took her hand easily. Touching other people was a normal part of Jake's life and he wondered if Emily might be the same way.

When he remembered the moments with Emily which made him smile, they all involved touch such as playing footsie, spraying her with his wet hair, tickling one another, and then also kissing. His real memory of the event combined with his dream made him want to kiss her again, but that didn't explain why she also appeared to want to kiss him as well.

"I'm sorry you aren't happy, Jacob," Emily said, her eyes looked at him with compassion and tenderness.

"It hasn't been that bad. I get to be with you." Jake smiled at her.

Silence settled around them, which normally Jake found to be comforting, but they had too much they needed to say. This time the silence felt like avoidance and it settled between them like a sticky blanket, resulting in Jake wanting to change the situation quickly.

"Emily, I don't know if it is my overactive imagination or what, but I keep getting mixed signals from you. Sometimes…" Jake felt heat flutter over his cheeks, but he pushed through not wanting embarrassment to keep him from finishing his thought, "sometimes, I get the impression you might like me."

Part of him wanted to crawl into a hole and never resurface. He felt immature and uneasy, it was beyond innocent, but more like inexperienced which made the feelings tangle together into frustration.

"You aren't imagining it. Ever since we sat at the kitchen table and you told me you had never kissed anyone, not even Bella, for some reason all I have thought about is kissing you."

Emily had the same redness to her cheeks which matched Jake's. While the topic of their attraction was uncomfortable, neither regretted the conversation. Jake had a hard time believing he was actually reading her flirtation correctly.

"That's flattering, but it seems a little sudden," Jake admitted.

"It actually isn't sudden at all. You hinted at it when you asked about my life before Sam."

"I could tell me saying that upset you, but I don't understand why."

"Because it is all true. I had plans and things I wanted to do with my life. But now, none of it is an option anymore."

"It doesn't have to be, Emily, you can still do anything you want. Yes, Sam imprinted on you, but you control what happens. Literally, I have seen it."

"I know." Emily sighed and her eyes looked down in front of her. Two days ago Jake would have thought she was being shy, but her eyes had lost their sparkle and that was serious. Whatever was bothering her was very personal to her. She could keep her words to herself, but Emily couldn't keep her emotions from presenting themselves. It was often subtle, but Jake had learned what to watch for.

Emily wasn't happy.

Jake could see it, but he didn't know why. Moving closer along the bench seat he put his arm around her. Emily released a deep breath and leaned her head on his chest.

"Help me to understand," Jake whispered.

"Then I have to start from the beginning…"

* * *

 _Emily ran to her cousin Leah and the two girls squealed with delight. They had both just graduated from high school and were anxious to spend the summer together. Leah was Emily's number one go-to person when something exciting happened in her life, and Emily was the same for Leah. Every specific detail of their first kisses, first love, and first 'time' was shared with each other. When Emily learned Sam proposed to Leah at their prom she thought it was very romantic. The intimacy which followed that night made both girls swoon._

 _Though Sam and Leah had been together for over a year, it seemed Leah's family decided to go to the Makah reservation for holidays or Sam had been away when Emily visited. In the past month Leah had started to complain Sam wasn't spending time with her and would often disappear for long sections of time. Emily felt determined to meet this elusive boyfriend._

 _The two girls walked arm-in-arm to the beach. The clouds threatened to soak them with water, but neither girl cared._

" _When are we meeting with Sam?" Emily asked._

" _I don't know." Leah released a deep sigh and her mouth turned down into a frown._

" _What's wrong?"_

" _I feel like I'm losing him, Em. He has really changed."_

 _Emily didn't like the look on her cousin's face and tried to get Leah to remember the happy times she had shared about Sam. There were lots to choose from, but it didn't work at cheering up Leah. They let the ocean waves come and lick their feet and made plans for their extended stay together._

 _Scattered in the ocean were groups of friends who were excited for school being over. On the sand a large stack of wood sat anxious for the bonfire later that night. Emily saw Seth surrounded by a group of guys who hunched around a fire pit. One of those friends was Jacob. He was telling a story Emily couldn't hear, but an excited smile sat on his face and wide hand gestures exaggerated the story._

 _Leah followed Emily's line of sight and rolled her eyes._

" _What? Don't roll your eyes at me. I have no idea why you find Jake to be so annoying. From all the stories you tell me, he seems like a fun guy."_

" _He is entertaining, I'll give him that," Leah conceided, kicking a chunky shell back towards the water._

" _There was a time when I thought you and Jake might, you know, get together," Emily said and then giggled at the grimace which was evident on Leah's face._

* * *

"Seriously, Emily?" Jake questioned. "There is no way Leah and I would ever…" his body shuddered keeping him from completing his sentence.

Emily laughed. "Yes, but it apparently was just my imagination. Leah felt the same way you clearly do about her."

While Emily had been talking to him, they left the car and stretch their legs. They walked through the tall trees and Jake naturally took her hand as they roamed. The gesture felt completely natural and yet had a surge of excitement coursed through him.

"Good." Jake nodded, appreciating the confirmation. "Was it because of Leah that you knew where to tickle me?" He asked, laughing at the memory.

"Yes, Leah had told me about it. You went camping, or something, and were picking on each other."

"Yep, that we were," Jake confirmed. "I was going to ask you earlier, but I was too busy trying to breathe. And then got a little distracted." Jake blushed at the memory of kissing her, but also winked playfully.

Emily smiled. "You are so full of emotion Jake." She touched his red cheeks softly. "I love that you still have your innocence, but it doesn't hold you back. You are still playful and flirty."

"I knew you were flirting with me," Jake accused with a huge grin.

"Yes. I have heard crazy story after story about you for years and I really liked the idea of getting to know you better."

"You mean even before I phased?" Jake asked.

Emily nodded her head. "That is why I was so comfortable with you. I helped the other guys too right after they joined the pack, but it always felt awkward. With you, I felt at ease and I wanted more of that easy feeling."

"I know what you mean there. I feel like we connected easily."

The sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees creating shadows on the natural ground. There was no set path for them to follow, but seemed to have natural flat patches of grass and fallen leaves which made for easier travel. Jake walked along without any specific destination feeling confident that him or his wolf would be able to keep them from getting lost.

"Anyways, what were you saying besides some bizarre theory about me and Leah?"

Emily shoved Jake's shoulder playfully. "It was not bizarre. Anyways, I'll continue…"

* * *

" _I will be there, I promise." Leah said, trying her best to mimic Sam's voice. "I swear those were his exact words." Leah's growing frustration was getting harder for Emily to watch._

 _The evening's bonfire had once been as tall as Emily, but now simmered to a reasonable level. Emily tried to roast the perfect marshmallow that was toasty-brown on all sides and carefully twirled her stick as the marshmallow nuzzled close to the embers._

" _Then I am sure he will come," Emily said, trying to encourage her cousin._

" _I think there might be someone else," Leah admitted._

" _Now you are just being dramatic." Emily glanced at Leah and her perfectly crafted mallow caught on fire. "Dang it!" Emily blew quickly and gave the burnt sweet to Seth, who ate it happily._

" _I am not," Leah wanted to have the conversation more privately and leaned Emily closer to her and whispered in her ear. "We haven't… you know… in months. He keeps coming up with excuses. What guy does that? Unless," Leah's voice broke and Emily held her cousin close in comfort, "unless, he has someone else on the side."_

" _I'm sorry, Lee." Emily turned towards Leah and hugged her tightly._

 _Looking over Emily's shoulder, Leah saw Sam approach. He was running from the trees in cut off shorts and no shirt or shoes. She didn't really expect him to dress up for a bonfire, but it would have been nice if he had given some thought to his appearance. Not that his chiseled chest and muscular arms weren't showcased nicely without a shirt, it still irritated Leah that his shorts were old and messy._

" _Don't move, he's here," Leah whispered to Emily._

 _Emily stiffened nervously, wanting desperately to look, but also didn't want to upset Leah. She could feel two eyes boring into her back as Leah slowly sat up. Emily watched Leah's face, trying to read her emotions. Leah started with a frown and then a slow giggle escaped her lips._

" _Mind if I sit here?" Sam's deep voice rumbled with affection for Leah as he watched her closely._

" _Help yourself," Leah replied stubbornly._

 _Emily turned her face from Leah to look at Sam for the first time. He was extremely handsome with a strong body and arms which went around Leah. His lips pressed into Leah's forehead, which made her smile._

" _I would like you to meet my cousin, Emily." Leah turned in Sam's arms and placed one hand on Emily's knee._

 _Emily smiled at them and looked into Sam's eyes._

" _I've heard so much…" Sam stammered. If it were possible for his heart to leap out of his chest, it would have matched the startled expression on his face, "much… so much, about you."_

 _Emily thought his reaction to be odd and gave Leah a quick look. Leah rolled her eyes and shrugged. Not wanting to be rude, Emily reached out her hand to shake his. "Same to you."_

 _Sam's warm hand wrapped around hers and held it longer than socially acceptable for a handshake. His skin felt rough, yet smooth, as Emily instantly wanted to be consumed by his heat._

 _What on earth is wrong with me? Emily thought to herself._

 _She had read books which spoke of an instantaneous spark between two characters, but she had never experienced anything like it in real life._

 _The remaining hour at the bonfire was one of the longest of her life. She could feel Sam looking at her throughout the evening. Emily prayed Leah wouldn't notice._

" _Leelee, would you get me another soda?" Sam asked her._

" _Sure, why not?" Leah shrugged and took their empty cans to throw them away before getting more to drink._

" _We need to talk," Sam whispered to Emily._

" _No, we don't," Emily insisted._

" _Yes, we do. Please." Sam's eyes reflecting the intensity of his desire._

 _Emily had never had anyone look at her like that. It made a blush spread over her cheeks, followed quickly by guilt for responding to Sam's shameful flirting. "You are not the man I thought you were, Sam Uley." Emily stood quickly and walked over to Leah. "If you want to stay, that's fine, but I'm going home."_

" _Are you okay?" Leah asked._

 _Emily saw Leah's eyes scan over her in concern. Emily was not a very good liar and knew Leah would read her like a book if she stayed any longer. Avoiding eye contact with her cousin, Emily hugged Leah tightly. "Yes, I'm just tired. Have fun." Emily hoped Leah believed her and ran towards the Clearwater's home where she was staying._

* * *

"That is when Sam broke up with Leah. Isn't it?" Jake interrupted.

"Yes," Emily confirmed. "Leah returned home late that night completely heart broken. For days we stayed together in her bedroom while she cried. I would leave the room for meals or to have a moment of relief from Leah's heartbreak. Sam tried to talk to me several times, but I didn't want to talk to him."

"How did you find out what happened?" Jake asked her.

"Uncle Harry encouraged me to talk to Sam, I agreed as long as he was there as well. I didn't want to leave Leah and agreed to meet Sam at the house. In hindsight, it was stupid. Learning about the legends and then that they were also true, it was all so insane. I could feel the truth behind the power of imprinting, but I didn't want it. I started crying and Sam held me against him. Leah saw us and accused me of stealing her Sam."

Emily placed her palm over her heart, like the memory was physically painful for her. They were near one of the many creeks in the area and Jake directed them to sit on a thick fallen tree. Keeping his arm around her, Emily leaned into his side. Her eyes watched the water rush over the smooth stones beneath and small fish wandered their way to the pond.

"I know she isn't exactly the most rational person, but what made Leah jump to it being you so quickly?" Jake asked.

"Maybe it was instinct, I'm not sure. I denied it to Leah because truly there wasn't anything going on. I still remember Sam looking wounded by my rejection. Leah saw it too and point blank asked Sam if he left her for me. I'll never forget his answer…"


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"I still remember Sam looking wounded by my rejection," Emily said. "Leah saw it too and point blank asked Sam if he left her for me. I'll never forget his answer…"

 _The air in the room felt like it was made of lead as Leah, Harry, and Emily all looked at Sam, waiting for his answer to Leah._

" _If she will have me, then I am hers," Sam replied._

 _The blood drained from Emily's face and at the same time Leah's blood boiled. A surge of rage overcame Leah as she slapped Sam hard in the face. Her own hand bruised in the process and a painful cry sprung from her lips._

" _I never want to see either one of you again!" Leah screamed and ran from her house._

" _No, Leah!" Emily bolted after her. "Leah, I don't want it!" Tears tore from her eyes blurring her vision, making it even harder to follow her._

 _Leah's legs were long and strong and she knew the area far better than her cousin. Emily searched for Leah for over an hour, but couldn't find her anywhere. Disgusted with herself and Sam, Emily returned to the Clearwater's home and through her continuous tears she gathered her belongings determined to go back home._

" _Emily, wait!" Harry said. "Give Sam a chance. He needs you."_

" _This is wrong, Uncle Harry. I can't stay here!" Emily sobbed._

" _We will not abandon you. I know where you can stay. There is a family home here. It will take some fixing up, but you can stay there and you'll have your privacy."_

" _Privacy for what? To run away with Leah's ex-boyfriend! Imprint or not, Uncle Harry, this is ridiculous." Emily continued to sob._

" _Just, give it a try."_

 _Harry and Sue left to check on the new home for Emily and a couple hours later they came back for her. Regardless of whether anything happened with Sam, Emily knew she couldn't stay with the Clearwaters, so she agreed to go with them. Emily looked out the window at the thick forest surrounding the dirt road which lead to what would now be her residence._

 _To her surprise, the place was clean and most of the old wood furniture was still in good condition. Harry and Sue promised to bring Emily anything she needed and soon the lost cabin in the woods became her home._

 _Later the same night, as Emily laid in bed, she heard a wolf howl. It sounded like the animal was in such despair her heart ached for the lonely animal. She threw on her robe and opened the front door to stand on the wide front porch to search for the wounded animal. The moon shone bright as a large black wolf exited from the shadows._

" _What on earth?" Emily whispered. Fear seized her body and for several minutes she did nothing but tremble as the beast came closer to her._

 _Suddenly, the instinct to flee washed over her and she sprung for the front door. She ripped it open and quickly slammed it behind her. Her back pressed against the door as she pushed with everything she had in case the wolf tried to break through the door._

 _A fist pounding on the door caused Emily to scream inside the cabin._

" _Emily! It's Sam!" he said, as the pounding continued._

" _Go away!" Emily yelled back._

" _I can't," Sam insisted._

 _Tears tore from her heart and streamed down her face. Her legs gave out from under her and she sunk to the floor with her head resting on her bent knees. She wanted it all to go back to the way it had been before because it was simple and everyone was happy. However, she knew everything had changed._

 _Emily awoke to sunlight shining on her face. As she looked around, she noticed she was in her bed with a blanket laid over her. "How did I get here?" she asked herself._

 _Her head still ached from crying the night before, but at least her hair remained in the french braid which ran down to the middle of her back. She took some medication for her migraine and then went to the kitchen to find something for breakfast._

 _Snoring from the couch alerted her to the fact she was not alone. Emily almost woke Sam up immediately to insist he get out of her home, but she was too tired. Though she didn't want him near her, she couldn't exactly blame him for wanting to escape the large wolf which had stalked outside last night . She knew he could leave once he awakened later._

 _Emily began to make breakfast and the smell of food aroused Sam from sleep. A minute later she saw him standing shirtless and barefoot in her kitchen. Her body longed to be close to him, but her mind felt repulsed by her desires._

" _Assuming the wolf from last night is gone, I would like for you to leave," Emily told him._

" _Emily," Sam moved closer to her._

" _Stop!" Emily instructed, holding out a hand towards him._

" _That wolf, it was me."_

 _She remembered Uncle Harry and Sam telling her he could become a wolf, but she never imagined it was so large or it was a complete transformation into a beast._

" _You're a monster." Emily stepped back again, her back finding the refrigerator as she leaned as far away as she could._

" _We are protectors!" Sam insisted, his hand reaching out towards Emily. His wolf, feeling the need to defend himself sprung forth from Sam's body, causing Sam's hand to transform into razor claws which slashed through her skin._

* * *

"How did you survive that?" Jake asked. He shuddered remembering the look of Emily's crumbled body which Sam had allowed Jake to see.

"I'm not sure."

An hour earlier they took off their shoes and walked hand in hand along the side of the creek. The mud squished between their toes and birds sang overhead. It was such a tranquil setting for such a long and serious conversation.

"Apparently Sam freaked out and couldn't phase back. Paul and Jared heard his howls for help and ran to Aunt Sue. She stitched the wounds back together. She saved my life, but she is not a plastic surgeon, so..." Emily shrugged sadly, leaving the sentence hanging about her scarred features.

"Do you remember any of it?" Jake asked.

"No, I was unconscious for four days and then pain medication left me very loopy. Apparently Sam remained a wolf until I woke up and then he finally believed he hadn't killed me. Once he phased back, he never left my side."

"Sam believes it was the accident which actually brought you together. That has always seemed odd to me. Is it true?" Jake asked.

Emily released a deep breath as her fingertips touched her lips thoughtfully. Many times as she told her story Jake saw her eyes glaze over in memory. It often kept him from asking a question so she could organize her thoughts without interruption. This time her eyes appeared sad, like the memory wasn't just physically painful, but affected her very essence.

"I guess you could say that. Three weeks after my injury, I saw myself for the first time. Aunt Sue removed the bandages to add antibiotic cream and I insisted I wanted to see what Sam had done to me." A tear escape from her eye and slid down her scarred cheek as her lips trembled to hold back the sea of emotion which threatened to erupt. "Black stitching held my skin together, but I could tell thick scars would remain for the rest of my life. Before I wasn't the most beautiful person ever, but…"

"Now wait a minute, I have seen your face from before and I think beautiful would be a very good description." Jake smiled at her, his arm naturally finding itself around her waist.

Emily blushes sadly. "Yeah, well, I'm not anymore. I stopped fighting Sam because I knew that, that I was the monster now."

Jake couldn't believe what he had heard. Emily had agreed to the imprinting out of her depression and not because she actually loved Sam. Why didn't anyone think about the emotional damage losing half of her face would have caused her? Something like that doesn't bring a loving couple together. It seemed closer to Stockholm Syndrome where messed up emotions, mimicking love, develop between the captive and the captor.

The dam of emotion broke loose inside of Emily and she cried violently. Jake scooped up her fragile body and carried her to a large boulder. As Jake sat down he nestled Emily on his lap, holding her close.

"That isn't true Emily. You are kind, helpful, and just as beautiful on the outside as you are on the inside."

Her head shook as it rested on his shoulder, her long hair draped down her face. Even after accepting Sam, Emily still hid herself behind her hair. Jake's hand threaded through her long locks, moving the strands from her face, tucking them behind her ear. It was there one of her deepest scars began. His lips kissed her face, starting at one raised ridge, following the trail to her lips. He could taste the salt from her tears and wanted to heal her soul which had been badly damaged.

These kisses had nothing to do with a rebellious decision to try to hurt Sam, but were from a guy who desperately wanted someone he cared about to feel better. There was no hesitation as Emily's lips moved against his and her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. Jake felt her chest against his and pressed his hands into her back to hold her closer.

Emily's hands gripped into his hair, her body shaking from emotions. Sadness and despair mixed with passion and lust to create a desire needing to be quenched. Jake groaned feeling her nails drag across his scalp. His hands feeling her soft skin, plunged under her shirt to feel more of her. Powerful lips caressed against an experienced tongue as they worked together to send sweet chills over Jake's body.

"Jake, your skin," Emily mumbled feeling the bubbled goose skin with her fingertips.

"It's okay," Jake encouraged, leaning back slightly to remove his shirt. He didn't actually feel cold, it was simply his skin reacting to the delicious sensations which swam over him. While taking a short break to breathe, he discarded Emily of the dreaded fabric which had once been called her shirt.

His eyes roamed over her blue bra with tiny yellow flowers over it. The material felt soft against his fingertips and he was surprised by how thin it felt. He could feel the weight of her breast as he cradled it in the palm of his hand. Jake touched her in way he had quite literally only dreamed of touching and Emily responded without pause.

Emily's tongue tangling with his felt like heaven. Her movements against him felt so real and natural as his name fell from her lips. To allow her lips to continue to speak, Jake took a lazy detour to kiss along her neck. His hands caressed her soft mounds and found her sweet peaks, which his thumbs pleasured.

"My god, Em," Jake groaned as she shifted in his lap to straddle his hips.

"You like that Jake," Emily teased and rubbed her heat against his bulging crotch.

"Yes," he hissed, instinctively grinding against her.

Heavy rain clouds blocked out the sun as sudden drops fell rapidly from the sky, but neither stopped to care. Thinking about Sam being the clouds and Jake as the sun, were far from his mind as loud claps of thunder competed with echoing moans as half clothed bodies found pleasure in each other. It was not a soft, gentle rain, it was a heart pounding thunderstorm soaking them instantly to the bone.

"We need to go," Emily mumbled, her lips still touching his.

"Not yet," Jake smiled at her. He once again kissed her scarred cheek this time towards her ear and took the sensitive lobe between his teeth. Her head fell back as he nibbled on her flesh. "I could stay like this forever."

"But we can't," Emily frowned, her arms tightening around him in a hug.

"What are we going to do?" Jake asked. After releasing a deep breath, he ran a nervous hand through his short hair. It was no understatement Sam rubbed him the wrong way, but Jake wasn't completely heartless. He knew how important Emily was to Sam. As Jake thought about leaving her to Sam, it made him feel sad and disappointed. He didn't want Emily to be Sam's, he wanted her for himself.

Why did he always have to go for women who were hung up on someone else? First Bella who couldn't get over Edward and now Emily. The difference with Emily was she was quite responsive to him, she liked him, he could tell. He liked her too. She was fun and flirty and in the back of his mind he knew he also liked that being with her was naughty.

The rain continued to spatter against their skin as they held each other tightly. Emily sunk into his warmth. "I don't have an answer for you Jake. There is something here, and I really want to figure it out."

"I do too," Jake smiled at her, kissing her tenderly because he wanted to. "Ready to go back?"

Emily smiled and nodded her head. She appeared confident and didn't seem nervous about returning home. Jake had no idea what was in store for them, but he was happy and so was Emily.

"Let's get to the car," Emily said. She stood from Jake's lap and then both put their shirts back on. They were both already soaked to the bone and walked back towards the car hand in hand. Despite the storm which fell around them, they felt at peace.

Once seated in the car Jake wiped the rain from his arms and shook his head, spraying Emily.

"Nice," Emily laughed.

Jake also thought back to when he showed up at her house, soaked and naked. He enjoyed making her giggle and sending drops from his head to her. His sunny smile stretched across his face.

Emily tried to start her car, but the pile of junk wouldn't cooperate. "Oh no," she frowned.

"Well, at least now we have an excuse of why we never made it to the grocery store."

"I guess so," Emily reluctantly got back out of the car and Jake joined her, taking her hand.

The storm continued to rage, the wind picking up caused Emily to shiver. "How about I carry you, and run back," Jake offered.

"You'll be, uh, staying human, right?" Emily asked, her lip trembling.

"Yeah, maybe one of these days I'll show you my wolf." Emily gasped and instinctively moved away from him. "Or maybe I won't. Em, you know I won't ever hurt you."

"I've heard that before." Emily touched the corner of her lip which remained as a constant smirk from Sam's claws.

"I am not him."

"I know, and because of that, we have a problem," Emily acknowledged.

Jake nodded. "First things first," he scooped Emily up in his arms and began to move at a steady jog towards Sam and Emily's house. "How do we want to handle, whatever this is?" Jake asked.

"Maybe that should be up to you." Emily shrugged, her arms tightly around Jake's neck.

"You're kidding right? You are Sam's imprint, which means, literally everything is up to you."

Emily nodded, her lips pursing together thoughtfully. Jake would give anything if he could peer inside her mind the same way he could Sam. Instead they stayed silent for the remainder of the journey. If they hadn't of started off soaked, they certainly would have been by the time Jake carried Emily through the front door.

"What the hell?" Sam yelled at them both, looking at them.

Jake released a sigh and set Emily on her own feet. "Her car is a moving piece of crap. It broke down."

"We thought about waiting out the storm, but Jake decided to carry me home," Emily added.

Sam wrapped his arms around Emily and held her close to him. "Jeez, you're freezing. Good job taking care of her, Black." Sam shook his head at Jake.

"I'll do better next time." Jake smirked, giving Emily a wink.

Emily blushed. "I'm going to take a shower."

A shower sounded good, but Jake felt starving and decided to throw some food on a plate and begin microwaving. A couple minutes later, Jake had been to his room and was back in dry clothes, ready to sit down at the table to eat.

"Jacob, we need to talk," Sam said, his angry eyes piercing into him.

* * *

 **Author Note:** Were you glad to finally hear Emily's side of the story? I hope this story has made you think about some of your assumptions about imprinting and maybe reconsider things. If you have enjoyed this story, please check out my original story, _Poisoned_. Though it is a completely different story than this one, I think you'll enjoy it. Go to JJLiniger dot com.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Jake's blood turned to ice as he dropped his plate to the table, all thoughts of hunger forgotten. "Sam, I can try to explain…" Jake stammered.

"Explain why Bella showed up at my house!"

"Wait, what?" Jake asked confused.

"Oh, it gets better," Sam mocked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Despite being in trouble, Jake released a deep breath. He knew Sam was upset about Bella, but it was only a shadow compared to the volcano which would erupt if Sam found out about Emily. It wasn't if, it was when and Jake was terrified of what that moment would be like.

"Gets better how?" Jake asked.

"She knows! How the hell did she figure out what we are?" Sam yelled.

"How would I know? You have kept me here all the time." Jake pointed out, trying to defend himself. Bella had pieced together the clues he had given her and remembered the complete story he had told her on the beach. "What did she tell you?"

"Just that she can accept the wolf, just doesn't want us to keep killing people." Sam shook his head.

"That is insane, we aren't killing people. Did you tell her that?"

"Yes," Sam replied.

"Where is she?" Jake looked around the room, even though he would have to be blind as a bat to have Bella be in the room and him somehow miss her.

"The storm was getting nasty and due to it being mostly dirt roads I convinced her to leave before her truck got stuck in the mud." Jake raised his eyebrows impressed Sam could convince Bella of anything considering how stubborn she was. "Yes, you do know her well," Sam continued. "She really wants you to give her a call."

Jake nodded his head and finally took his first bite of the food he reheated. It only took a second to shovel the next helping in his mouth. "I'll call her in a minute," Jake said, his words garbled from food.

Sam laughed. "Or so you think."

"Sam," Jake glared. "What is your deal? I think you are taking your alpha control a little too seriously. What could I possibly say that you would have a problem with? She already knows everything!"

"She thinks she does, but she doesn't know it is true." Sam challenged.

"You confirmed we don't kill people, right?"

"Yes, I already said that."

"Then you confirmed what she thinks is true. Let me talk to her and clear up any misunderstanding she might have. I was serious about Bella not being bait, but let's face it, she knows more about this than we do. Why is some vampire after Bella?"

Sam shook his head thoughtfully.

"We need the answer to that question, and you know it."

As Jake continued to eat, Emily returned to the kitchen. Jake watched her poke her head in the refrigerator and then join him at the table. Emily must have a gift when it came to food. While Jake simply reheated what had been prepared, she took a little of this and that and in minutes had created for herself something new.

"What is it?" Emily asked, noticing Jake staring at her.

"You are just gifted, that's all." Jake smiled at her.

Emily blushed and shook her head.

Jake felt thankful they could continue to be themselves even with Sam just a few feet away. It gave him hope they could figure each other out. Sometimes, feelings of guilt for what he was doing to Sam tried to creep in, but he pushed them to the side. Wouldn't Sam want Emily to be as happy as she could be? What if Jake was the person to make that happen?

"Jake!" Embry grinned at his friend, interrupting Jake's thoughts. Embry shut the front door behind him and quickly joined Jake at the table.

"Hey man!" Jake returned, happy to see him. He noticed Emily leave the table and returned to the kitchen.

"How's it going?" Embry made a quick nod towards Sam, but didn't say his name.

Jake shrugged. "It could be better, but it could be worse. How's Dad and Bella?"

"I don't know about your dad, but Bella is a mess, especially at night."

"Bad dreams?" Jake guessed.

"How do you know about that?" Embry asked.

"She had them before. Charlie said it was every night."

"He's right."

"I wish there was something I could do for her," Jake sighed.

He felt something brush against his shoulder and looked to see Emily reach next to him to hand Embry a plate of food.

"Thank you, Emily," Embry said, as he immediately began to eat.

Jake felt her lean into his side. She smiled contently as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Can I get you anything, Jake?"

He paused to think if there was anything he wanted, but wasn't in a hurry to come up with anything specific. Looking into her coffee-colored eyes, a smile spread across his face without realizing it. It didn't take long for Emily's grins to match Jake's as they looked at each other. During their talk, Jake connected with Emily in a real and emotional way and he believed she had with him as well.

A swift kick to his shin from across the table broke Jake from his stare. He looked at Embry and then back at Emily. "Uh, no… I'll let you know if I do." Jake stammered.

"Alright." Emily nodded and looked at Embry with a slight blush staining her cheeks.

"What the hell, Jake?" Embry whispered so low only another wolf close by would hear him.

"It is not what you think," Jake whispered back.

"It had better not be," Embry warned.

"Okay, so it kinda is," Jake added. He knew he couldn't lie to his best friend because he was a terrible liar and Embry knew it. However, similar to clues with Bella, he could tell him half truths which would keep Embry from knowing everything.

"Have you lost your damn mind?"

"It is nothing serious. I'm just bored."

"You had better find a hobby or something before Sam has a good reason to kill you."

"Too late…" Jake said and instantly wished he hadn't. That was way more information than he meant to share. Whatever was happening with Emily felt exciting and he didn't want it to be a secret.

"God, Jake… How late is too late?" Embry asked.

Jake grinned as he thought about making out with Emily and feeling her partially clothed body against his. They were great memories filled with desire and appreciation for someone who treated Jake well and he wanted to do the same for her.

"Jacob." Sam's booming voice interrupted Jake's thoughts and made his grin dissolve from his face.

"Never mind, I don't want to know," Embry mumbled.

Jake sighed and looked at Sam. "Yeah? What?"

"I have decided Bella's information about the vampires will be helpful. I'd like you to invite her here to discuss it."

"Okay, I'll call her." Jake left the table and borrowed Sam's phone to call Bella.

After ringing three times, Bella finally answered. "Hello?"

"Hey Bells, it's Jake," he said.

Her voice still put a smile on his face and he released a sigh that he would finally get his friend back. As he thought of Bella as his best friend he no longer felt the longing for something more. Sometime during his stay with Emily, his feelings shifted. Though he knew he still loved and cared about Bella, however, his romantic thoughts of Bella dissipated into contentment, they could remain as friends and he no longer felt disappointed.

"Jake! I tried to see you today."

"Yeah, I know," Jake said. "Sam told me. Actually, he'd like to talk to you. Can you come back to his place?"

"I can't right now, I'm making dinner for Charlie. I can later tonight, unless, uhm, you don't think it is safe and then I'll come in the morning."

"It is actually the safety thing we need to talk to you about. How about you call before you come? I'll meet you outside and make sure you get inside safely."

"If you're sure, I don't want you getting hurt."

Jake chuckled. "I'll be fine, I promise."

"Okay, see you tonight, Jake."

"Bye, Bella." Jake hung up and looked across the room at Sam. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes." Sam answered. "I will have Paul and Jared be here as well."

"Paul had better keep his mouth shut. I don't want him being rude to Bella."

"I'll talk to him, but you need to realize not all of us will like her."

"Got it." Jake acknowledged. He returned to the kitchen table where Embry still sat. Jake felt bad for dumping his attraction to Emily on his best friend. Embry appeared to be rolling thoughts around in his mind and Jake wanted to help him, but didn't know how.

Emily remained at the kitchen counter as she marinated ground beef for dinner. Jake decided to help her. Instead of asking, he simply left the table to join in.

"You don't have to do this," Emily told him.

"I know, but I want to." Jake smiled at her.

They moved around each other effortlessly. Jake did not consider himself a great cook, but since his sisters moved out, it left him and his dad to fend for themselves. There were lots of mishaps, but now it was rare for Jake to burn dinner.

They weren't doing anything other than making dinner, but enjoyed talking to each other and doing silly things to make each other laugh. He could feel Embry's eyes watching him as he worked with Emily. Sam called Paul, and he walked in the door right as dinner was ready.

"Perfect timing as usual," Paul smirked and gave Emily a wink.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I think your nose can smell food a mile away."

"That's two miles away." Paul corrected.

Jake felt jealousy rise up in him at their playful banter. No one noticed, except for Embry who gave him a look of caution. He knew Embry was right. Jared came to the table, followed by Sam, who gave Emily a kiss. It was a vivid reminder, Emily was not his to be jealous of.

Throughout dinner there was a mixture of opinions about Bella's involvement.

"What is the point of getting her 'help' if she can't be trusted?" Paul asked, insistent that getting Bella's input was a mistake.

"What makes you think she can't be trusted?" Embry asked.

"Her loyalty lies with them." Paul glared.

"Bella is loyal to her friends, which includes me." Jake countered.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I invited Bella to come share what she knows. If she refuses, then we know who's side she is really on," Sam said.

Jared reminded silent through most of dinner and Paul shoveled angry bites into his mouth.

"Thanks for dinner," Sam told Emily. He was the only person who acknowledged her by name. Others mumbled their thanks before stuffing their faces with whatever delicious thing she had to offer.

"You are welcome, Jake helped," Emily said with a smile.

"Good job, Jackie, glad you can be good for something." Sam taunted.

"Jackie? So only girls are suitable for helping?" Jake challenged.

Emily gave Sam a pointed look as she waited for his answer. "No, no, of course not…" Sam stammered.

"Jerk," Embry mumbled under his breath.

"Sam, I would like some help cleaning up. If you don't mind?" Emily smiled and gave him a look he literally could not refuse.

"Yeah… I'd love too." Sam followed her to the kitchen and within minutes he was elbow deep in soapy water.

Paul coughed. "Whipped." He coughed again.

Jared gave Sam a sympathetic look, but didn't judge him since he understood.

Embry smiled at Jake, which he returned.

Jake's admiration for Emily rose at her ability to put Sam in his place. Watching Sam doing something he clearly didn't really want to do, made Jake feel like Sam was equally trapped by imprinting as Emily. Could it be possible Jake was helping them both by allowing them to realize there was another alternative?

"Jake," he heard Emily say and turned his head towards her. She raised the phone as an obvious gesture of what she had called him for. He rose quickly, surprised he didn't hear it ring. "It's Bella."

"Thanks." Jake took the phone and watched Emily's face for signs of jealousy. He had told Emily once he loved Bella, but never again mentioned his feelings had changed. While listening to Bella, he nodded his head until he realized he needed to speak for Bella to hear him. "Great Bells, I'll be on the front porch. See you soon."

Paul, Jared and Embry found their way to the living room couch while Sam stayed in the kitchen with Emily and Jake went outside to sit on the front porch. The first star of night peeked through and he considered making a wish, but he didn't know what to wish for.

Bella said she needed him and it didn't sound like as just friends, but he had read her wrong before. Should he wish for Emily and risk destroying Sam? What would that do to the rest of the pack? Slowly the night sky filled with thousands of other twinkling lights and the first star blended in with all the others.

Jake sat on the porch thinking until headlights blinded his eyes. With one hand blocking the light, he raised from the porch and walked towards Bella's truck.

"Jeez, Bells, I can't see a thing." Jake grimaced. The rumble of her truck died and seconds later a trembling Bella tripped into Jake's arms. "Calm down, Bella. I got ya." Jake encouraged and kept his arm around her as they enter the house.

"Thanks, Jake." Bella hugged him tightly, leaning into his side. Five sets of eyes locked on Jake and Bella as they came to the living room to sit down on the loveseat.

Sam dried his hands and took his usual seat next to the couch. "Bella, Jacob tells us you know the red headed leech."

Bella flinched at the word leech and leaned further into Jake. "Yes, I know her." Her body trembled and her breathing increased as fear seized her body.

Jake took Bella's hand, holding her close. "Why is she after you?"

"The Cu-Cullens, killed her mate a year ago because he was trying to kill me."

Emily perched herself on the armrest of Sam's chair and watched Jake closely. Once again questions of jealousy swarmed in Jake's mind as he held Bella close to his side. For a brief second, his eyes connected with Emily's and her teeth found her lower lip in a nervous gesture he knew well. He wanted to tell her she didn't have anything to worry about that they would figure everything out and it would all be perfect. It was a promise he knew he couldn't make.

"I thought we killed her mate," Sam countered, putting his arm around Emily's waist. "He was with you in the meadow."

"You killed Laurant?" Bella questioned.

"Don't look so damn surprised." Paul glared. A slight tremor went down his body.

"Easy Paul," Sam cautioned him.

Protectively Jake brought Bella closer to him, which resulted in a low rumble from Paul's chest.

"If the Cullens killed her mate, then why is she after you?" Embry asked.

Bella swallowed slowly. "Mate for mate," she replied sadly.

"You have got to kidding!" Paul exclaimed. His appalled face looking the same as everyone's in the room including Jake's.

"Bella, that's, that's messed up." Jake added.

"I know. Edward would probably agree with you. We aren't… I'm not… what I thought." Bella lowered her head to lean against Jake's shoulder.

Jake sighed, his arm staying around Bella.

"What do we do with this information?" Jared asked.

Sam nodded thoughtfully. "We know her motivation is revenge, once that obsession is dealt with she will leave."

"But that's," Jake interrupted, but Sam continued without stopping.

"We don't want her to just move on, we want her destroyed. I would like to set up a trap, using Bella's scent."

"Only her scent?" Jake asked.

"Yes, unless it is not strong enough for her to follow. We don't know when she will be back."

"Where are we going to lead the bloodsucker?" Jared asked.

"It can't be Bella's home in Forks, there are too many neighbors and Charlie to consider." Embry added.

"What about here?" Paul suggested.

"What?" Sam instantly roared. "Have you lost your damn mind?"

Without thinking about it Jake growled as well. Bella carefully touched Jake's chest and while he found her touch relaxing he still did not like the idea of leading a blood thirsty leech to Emily's front door.

"Think about it." Paul insisted. "There is nothing but forest all around us and most importantly, no water. We are here all the time so the area would smell like us whether we are close by or not. All we have to do is make sure we _are_ close by and nothing will happen to Emily."

"Absolutely not! There will be a different solution!" Sam declared. The need to protect his imprint had grown stronger after the accident. Every wolf knew Sam swore he'd never harm her again or put her in danger.

As much as Jake hated to admit it, Paul's suggestion was actually really good.

* * *

 **Next Chapter, Sam's POV!** Please remember to review/comment, I love having feedback from my readers! And check out my website at JJLiniger dot com. To celebrate my birthday my book is on sale this weekend for only $2.99 on Amazon. Please buy my book!


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 (Sam POV)**

"Sam," Emily said capturing his attention immediately. The sound of her voice, drawing him in closer to her.

"Yes." Sam sat next to her on their bed, putting his arm around her waist. His hand on her instantly made him feel at ease, bring a smile to his face. He loved her more than he imagined possible, leaving no doubt of the supernatural effects of imprinting.

"Are you ever going to talk to Jake about the whole alpha thing?"

"No. Well, at least not anytime soon.

Once Bella knew their secret there was no reason to keep Jacob away from her so Sam ordered him back to his house. The stupid sucker actually looked a little reluctant to leave. Jacob was not a loud person and therefore him living with them shouldn't have been difficult, but it grated on every one of Sam's nerves. Everything about Jacob made life difficult for Sam and he knew exactly why.

Sam's wolf could feel the alpha leadership in Jacob, no matter how hard Sam tried to ignore it. He felt a constant pain, like a thorn wedged under his skin.

Knowing Jacob would phase, Sam had been watching him and felt ready. Until it actually happened, and he saw how much Jacob hated him. Instead of offering the role of alpha to the teenager, Sam kept it and ordered the others to keep being alpha a secret from Jacob. He couldn't risk having Embry confide in his best friend or Paul saying something pigheaded.

"He is too stubborn and I do not trust him," Sam said, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Emily licked her chapped lips. "What do you not trust about him?" Her voice remained smooth as her hand rested over his.

"I don't know. I can just feel it."

"Have you ever thought maybe he is so stubborn because his wolf knows the truth about being alpha even if Jake doesn't?"

Sam hadn't thought of that. His fingers threaded through her long hair as he contemplated what it could all mean. It made sense. Handing over the reins to Jacob would make it easier for him, but he believed the teenager lacked the maturity to handle it.

"He isn't ready," Sam told her.

"Maybe, and maybe not."

"Besides, when did he become Jake? I thought only his friends called him that."

"We are friends." Emily shrugged. "And I have been hearing about Jake for a really long time, from, you know…"

Sam hated that neither of them ever actually said Leah's name. _Was it really so hard to acknowledge her?_

The pressure of being alpha weighed heavily on Sam as he undressed for bed. He sighed deeply.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked him, laying down on their bed.

"Yes," Sam answered. It was a half truth and the sigh which escaped her mouth told him Emily knew it. _Why couldn't he be more honest with her?_ Sam guarded his thoughts, even towards his faithful imprint.

Emily rolled over to her side and Sam settled in behind her, his arm around her waist. Their intimacy felt like a never ending rollercoaster, with heights of passion, sudden stops and curves which came out of nowhere. Sam felt like they were in a curve which he hadn't seen coming.

Leading his pack had become a full time job, and he wondered if Emily enjoyed her role as the alpha's mate, but he never asked. Through imprinting they skipped the initial attraction most new couples experienced. They were thrown together suddenly and without thought to what either really wanted.

In the privacy of his mind, Sam often thought of Leah. He missed her and wished he could still love her. Actually, he did still love her. He had dreams of a life with her he was only able to experience in his subconscious. Feeling Emily next to him, he immediately felt guilty for his thoughts of Leah. Wasn't imprinting supposed to take away his desire for her? Unfortunately it did not. He felt everything, but was helpless to do anything about it.

Emily became his hopes, his dreams, his life the moment he imprinted on her. She gave him a purpose and part of him loved that. He felt complete and knew he would need no one, but her, for the rest of his life.

"Sam?" Emily whispered softly.

"Yeah?"

"I don't want... _her_ coming towards the house. I want to trust you all, but…"

"Emily…" Sam rolled her to him, brushing her long hair from her face. Her scarred cheek rested against her pillow, his hand touching her smooth skin. Sam didn't know if they intentionally choose the side of the bed so her injury wouldn't be staring him in the face, but deep down he appreciated not having the reminder. He didn't need it because he'd never forget. "I promise you, I will think of a different plan than having that tick anywhere near you."

"Thank you," she said, hugging him tightly.

Sam held her tightly, his lips finding hers. They kissed passionately, their clothes ending in piles around them as Sam made love to her.

* * *

Sam awoke the next morning before the sun. Leaving Emily still sleeping, he tucked the blankets tightly around her naked body, grabbed a quick breakfast and left to relieve Embry from his nightly duty outside Bella's house. A quick jog to the trees and he exploded in his wolf form.

 _What was he thinking?_ Embry thought, trying to keep himself from falling asleep. For the past week outside of Bella's house he sat in the same place, creating a spot under the trees for himself. Her screams, while concerning, were his only source of entertainment, but since reconnecting with Jake she slept peacefully. Exhaustion kept him from noticing anyone else had phased in.

With Embry's head resting heavily against his paws, Sam remained silent to not interrupt Embry's thought process. _He has the absolute worst luck ever in girls. First Bella and then... Well, at least Bella is back and he could go in that direction again. I know she thinks they are just friends, but the way they were all… whatever when Bella talked to us, it was obvious they care about each other. Even Emily noticed, lookin' all jealous… Maybe there is something more to it than just boredom on Jake's part… But seriously, anyone but Emily…_

 _What!?_ Sam roared.

 _Oh my god! Sam?_ Embry leaped to his feet, instinctively shaking the dirt and leaves from his fur. _Oh god, how long have you been there?_

 _Long enough!_

 _Oh shit!_

 _What the hell is going on?_ Sam demanded.

 _I don't really know._

 _You know a hell of a lot more than I do. Spill it!_

Embry whined for a moment not wanting to betray his best friend, but Sam didn't care. He needed answers. _I will order you if I have to,_ Sam warned.

 _I don't know much..._

Embry showed Sam: _The look between Jacob and Emily as they stared into each other's eyes and grinned at each other. Their smiles could have been seen as a friendly gesture until they began to match perfectly like a shared secret. Embry felt confident if he noticed then so would someone else and gave Jacob a swift kick under the table._

" _What the hell, Jake?" Embry whispered so low only another wolf close by would hear him._

" _It is not what you think," Jacob whispered back._

" _It had better not be," Embry warned, unconvinced. His eyes probed into his friend's and found Jacob was not telling the truth._

" _Okay, so it kinda is," Jacob added._

" _Have you lost your damn mind?"_

" _It is nothing serious. I'm just bored."_

" _You had better find a hobby or something before Sam has a good reason to kill you."_

" _Too late…" Jacob said a look of regret washed over his face._

" _God, Jake… How late is too late?" Embry asked._

 _Jacob grinned, his eyes glazing with memories. Embry didn't know exactly what Jacob was thinking about, but it appeared passionate and he felt convinced Jacob had slept with Emily._

Sam released a nightmarish howl which both crushed his soul and boiled his blood. _How could this happen?_

The alpha wolf felt short of breath and his body trembled. Feeling emotions so intense, he probably would have phased had he not already been a wolf. His heart ached as he felt the cables, which bound him to Emily, tighten around him. He wasn't sure if the pressure held him together or would eventually crush him completely. Typically the man and wolf felt emotions slightly differently, except when it came to imprinting. With imprinting the man and wolf were one.

A low moan escaped from his snout as Sam collapsed to the ground. Immediately, Embry darted from the trees towards him.

 _Sam!_ He yelled.

A wolf's imprint was supposed to be untouchable. It was the most cardinal of all pack laws because to hurt an imprint would destroy the wolf attached to her.

 _That is what he wanted…_ Sam's laid on the earth, broken _To destroy me…_

 _What if he didn't know?_ Embry suggested, desperate to give Jacob an out.

 _How could he not know? He knew how important she is to me! I know, because I told him myself._

 _Jake said it wasn't anything serious. I know what he did was wrong and unforgivable, but don't over react you haven't lost her._

Emily was his.

 _You are right!_

Sam felt the cables relax, and he sprang to his feet. Even though she had cheated on him, Sam knew he would forgive her. An imprint could do anything. Whatever she wanted from him, she would have. But that was not the case with Jacob. He would pay for what he had done.

 _Get some rest, Embry. I'll take over._ Sam growled.

 _Okay, but Sam…_

 _Embry, you will tell_ _ **no one**_ _what you have shared with me_ , Sam ordered.

He nodded, appreciative of the order which restricted him because he didn't have to debate on whether to tell Jacob. It wasn't an option. Once close to home Embry phased out, leaving Sam alone with his thoughts.

Sam had to figure out how he missed something which must have happened right under his nose. For hours, as Sam continued to patrol, anger seeped into every fiber of his bones.

* * *

He hated Jacob Black almost more than the leech who had been terrorizing his community. Raking through his thoughts, he looked for times Jacob and Emily were together. There were very few times to choose from, most were of them in the kitchen. They stood side by side, working together effortlessly. Then another memory of them returning soaked to the bones, claiming to have car trouble.

Instinctively, Sam knew not to trust Jacob. He thought it regarded the pack and Jacob leading, but instead he betrayed him.

Sam felt another wolf phase in and tried to relax his thoughts, but his anger still burned strong.

 _Sam, you okay?_ Jared asked.

 _Okay enough. I'm going to phase out, Jacob will replace you in an hour._

 _Sounds fine to me. But Sam, I had an idea about the leech. I know we want her destroyed, but I also want her gone quick. I don't like that she keeps coming back._

Sam could feel Jared's need to protect his imprint and Sam felt the same way.

 _What do you suggest?_ Sam asked.

 _She is the Cullen's problem. They should be handling this._

 _I don't know Jared, I don't want them coming back here._

 _They don't 'all' have to come back._

 _I'll think about it. As always, howl if you need me._

 _Will do, laters._

Sam felt Jared's curiosity, but phased out without explaining. Angry and needing advice, Sam showed up on the front porch of Harry Clearwater.

After ringing the doorbell, Sam waited.

Leah opened the door, a permanent glare edged on her face. "What do you want?"

"I need to talk to Harry," Sam said, him already hurt and angry, running into Leah made no difference on his mood.

"Dad!" Leah yelled, immediately turning back towards the staircase which lead to her bedroom.

"Leah, wait…" It had been two months since he had seen her. Her natural beauty evident despite her simple running shorts, tank top and ponytail. Though she was never overweight, he could see the evidence of weight loss in her face and new found muscles in her shoulders and biceps.

"You're sick," Leah said, her glare intensifying as Sam got caught eyeing her.

Sam didn't say another word as he watched her march straight to her room, he heard the door slam. Her music blared, but her sobs could still be heard. Sam felt terrible as he wandered through the house until he found Harry in his office.

"Sam," Harry said, his eyebrows raise, curious and surprised. "What can I do for you?"

"I need some advice."

"Name it." Harry turned, giving Sam his full attention.

Harry Clearwater was the man who Sam admired more than any other. He once thought he would be his father-in-law and while that was no longer an option, Sam felt appreciative for Harry's support throughout his transition. Harry found him in the woods after his first phase and let Sam know he was in fact not going insane.

After he imprinted on Emily, Harry remained faithful to Sam, giving him reassurance Emily would make her way to him. Now Sam's relationship had never been more in jeopardy and he needed his mentor's advice.

Sam hadn't hesitated for a moment before arriving at Harry's home, but now he was there he was uncertain of what to say.

"Well, I wanted to get your opinion on something," Sam said.

Harry rubbed his jaw and rested his hand on his chest waiting patiently.

"What should I do if," Sam felt the same rage, which had washed over his body as a wolf, tremor down his human form, "if a another wolf were to sleep with an imprint who is not his own?"

"Whoa! That is a very serious concern." Harry leaned towards Sam in interest and curiosity.

"I know."

"Assuming the wolf knows she is an imprint." Harry's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he waited a moment before speaking. "Then the offending wolf would be ostracized from the pack and tribe."

 _Perfect,_ Sam nodded silently. "Is there anything the wolf could do to be redeemed?"

"No. We take imprinting serious." Harry took a deep breath, his face grimacing in what looked to be pain. "Do you have something you want to report to the Council?"

"Yes, but… Are you okay?" Sam asked.

"Just heartburn, it has been bothering me since breakfast. I need some water from the kitchen."

"I'll come with you."

Harry arose slowly, stretched his back and shoulders before moving towards the kitchen. Sam watched him intently as Harry grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water.

"Get your ass out of the way, Uley!" Leah yelled, shoving his back with her hands.

Sam stumbled forward surprised by her strength and even more from her touch. Most people felt cold compared to his heated skin, but not Leah. Her touch matched his own, causing his eyes to widen in shock.

"What the hell are you even doing here?" She continued to yell, her body trembling.

"Oh my god…" Sam put himself been Leah and Harry protectively. "Leah, try to calm down…"

Those words were a mistake. Leah completely lost it yelling for Sam to get out of her house and for him to never return again, convulsing more violently with each threat. Sam ignored her words, throwing the kitchen table as far against the wall as it would go.

"Sam… What is going on?" Harry looked at him confused.

"I think Leah is phasing," Sam replied.

The glass slipped from Harry's fingers shattering on the ground. Pieces of glass shot in all directions as Leah clutched onto the counter shaking.

"LEAH!" Seth screamed, seeming to appear out of nowhere. Sam didn't realize he was home.

Seth leaped towards his sister and Sam reached for him, pulling him away from Leah. The teenage kid was strong and put up a fight, luckily Sam was taller than Seth, giving him leverage.

"Let go of him!" Leah screamed. Suddenly her screams turned to howls and a large gray wolf stood in the Clearwater's kitchen. Leah appeared a little smaller than the other wolves, but still plenty big for a kitchen.

Harry screamed and clutched his chest, leaning against the counter.

Seth reached back with his fist, punching Sam in gut, repeatedly until he began to convulse as well.

"Holy shit!" Sam groaned. He threw Seth over his shoulder roughly, running with him to the living room.

Leah growled and leaped after Sam and Seth.

Sam dropped him to the floor as Seth's screams filled the room. It had to be Sam's werewolf reflexes which allowed him to get out of the way before Seth turned into a large sandy-brown wolf.

Leah's snout moved over her brother, then Seth sprung to his feet and Sam had two growling wolves moving towards him.

"Oh god…" Sam stared at the two wolves unsure of what to do. "Harry!" Sam yelled. "Harry, Harry, Harry!" He continued to wail with no response from the kitchen.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 (Jacob's POV)**

It had been three days of absolute torture. The pack mind was a crappy place to be right now. With seven wolves freaking out and not knowing what to do with each other, it was a mess. Normally when a wolf phased for the first time everyone tried to keep their thoughts quiet to not confuse the new person. However, everyone was so confused and shocked that no one followed typical procedure. There was nothing normal about this. Just like Sam knew when Jake first phased that he wouldn't appreciate him, Sam also knew how Leah felt about him. The problem was that now they ALL knew exactly what she thought of him.

Though they couldn't completely block each other out, with a little practice they could choose to ignore someone and concentrate on others. They would lose their mind if there was not any way to prioritize the jumbled thoughts of everyone.

They split up, even though technically distance didn't make a difference, it did help for Leah to be away from Sam. Unfortunately for Jake; he was put on Leah babysitting duty and Jared and Paul stayed with Seth. Sam avoided phasing as much as possible and Embry would phase in to relay a message from Sam, which usually resulted in Leah trying to take a bite out of Jake at the mention of Sam's name.

 _Leah! Seriously, cut it out!_ Jake yelped in pain after she bit his flank.

 _This is all so damn frustrating!_ She gave a harsh growl.

While Leah could hardly see straight, Seth remained calm and Jake knew he could phase back, but choose to stay for his sister. The plans for Harry's funeral were made, and the activities started tomorrow. Both Leah and Seth wanted to be there, but at this rate only Seth would make it.

Jake understood why they wanted to be there, but the last funeral he attended was for his mother and therefore he secretly hoped that Leah remained a wolf.

 _It is not a secret, dipshit, I can read your mind._ Leah scoffed.

 _I know that, stupid. I just think it wouldn't be the end of the world if you can't make it,_ Jake countered.

 _Come on, Leah, you can do this._ Seth encouraged.

Once again Jake showed Leah how to relax his mind, release the heat, and phase. While Jake stood there naked, Leah looked at him and snickered.

"Shut up, Leah!" Jake glared, flipping her off.

Her wolf snorted a laugh and pranced off like it wasn't extremely insulting. Jake enjoyed the break away from Sam, but he missed being able to see Emily. Sam sent food with Jared or Embry, so Jake hasn't had a reason to visit her. The pack mind was so cluttered with thoughts that if Jake slipped and thought of Emily, it simply mixed in unnoticed.

Suddenly, Leah howled, which sent Jake exploding into his wolf.

 _That fucking bastard!_ Leah growled.

Immediately, Jake checked Leah's mind for leech activity, but didn't find anything but rage. He could also feel another wolf, who remained silent and therefore Jake didn't know who he was.

 _Leah, what's going on?_

 _The bastard over there just ordered Seth to phase out!_ Leah continue to growl, running full speed.

Jake assumed the new wolf was Sam and Leah currently ran towards a path to intersect him.

 _Sam, why?_ Jake asked.

 _By him phasing out now, he will be able to attend his father's funeral. It is for his own good and if you both weren't so selfish then you would have known that_ , Sam said, his anger towards them both evident.

By now, Jake felt used to being irritated at Sam and it was normal for Paul to roll his eyes at Jake and Jared to silently support Sam. Even though Leah clearly had anger issues, it felt nice to Jake to no longer be the only one who couldn't stand Sam.

Sam continued. _I expect everyone to attend the funeral, except for Leah. Unless you think you can phase in the next couple of hours._

 _You took my brother away! How the hell am I supposed to be all calm and Zen when my life has been flipped completely upside down?_ Leah let out another angry growl. If there were a way to flip someone off as a wolf, Jake felt confident that Leah would have figured out how to do it.

Sam phased out and Jake released a frustrated sigh.

The only one of them who could make Leah do anything was Seth. The wolf gene was very strong in their family which made him a little more skilled, similar to Jake. The absence of Seth made Leah even more of a problem. Sam literally couldn't be with her or all hell broke loose. Paul was likely to rip her head off, he couldn't care less that she was a girl, when he got angry it was fair game. She was so indifferent to Jared and Embry they were practically useless. Jake assumed it was their life long standing as "frenemies" that allowed her to tolerate him without trying to kill him.

Nights were tough. Leah would go to the woods outside her house and listen to her family. The pain and guilt intensified as she listened to her mother cry herself to sleep each night.

 _Try to relax, Leah._ Jake sighed.

They had made it back to each other and Jake nudged her shoulder with his head. She sat for a moment and leaned against his side.

 _Well that was weird,_ thought Jared.

 _What?_ Jake asked.

 _Leah didn't bite your head off and is acting almost human._

 _Hey stupid, I can hear you too, remember._ Leah retorted.

 _Come on, Leah, maybe you can have some dreams tonight. That is about the only entertainment we get around her._ Jake tried to tease her.

Leah shoved him with her shoulder. _Back off, Black._

 _I'm just teasing._

 _Sure, sure_. Leah rolled her eyes and gave Jake a glare for using his phrase.

Jake barked out a laugh.

 _Hey Jake. What's your deal with Sam?_ Leah asked.

Jake could feel Jared's curiosity as well as he patrolled and listened to their banter.

 _It is hard to explain. He rubs me the wrong way,_ Jake answered.

 _You aren't supposed to be rubbing against guys, Jake. That's pretty gay._

Jake barked out a laugh, appreciating the reminder of the playful banter Leah and him often had growing up as family friends. After feeling Leah smile, he was pleased she had a moment of peace.

The past several months had been hell for Leah. Everyone knew she was her daddy's little girl, and when she heard Harry encouraged Sam to be with Emily, it left her carrying around a burden which was far too heavy for her to manage. Losing her best friend and fiance all at the same time crushed her spirit and now with her father's passing, it took a piece of her soul with him.

* * *

The day of Harry's funeral finally arrived. Jake slept outside with Leah to keep her company, but they both knew that he would need to help get his dad ready and Leah could use some time to herself.

 _Thank you, Jake,_ Leah told him, a sad sigh escaping her lips.

 _No problem._

Once inside his house, Jake helped his dad take a shower and then to dress. He wore dark pants and a cream shirt with a vest with intricate tribal lettering, two large wolves covered each breast and eagle feather lined his shoulders and waist.

"How's Leah doing?" Billy asked.

"Some days she's a pain in the ass and other days tolerable."

"She has been through alot Jake."

"I know that Dad, but it doesn't give her the right to… Let's just say, I've seen parts of Sam I really didn't want to see."

Billy and Jake grimaced. Jake braided his dad's hair and laid out the headdress which would crown his head. From his chair it was long and dragged on the ground, so Jake would wait to attach it until Billy was ready to leave.

"Has anyone explained imprinting to her?" Billy asked.

"I haven't, and I doubt Sam has. He hasn't been phasing much."

"That makes sense. I'm sure that you are handling things just fine by yourself." Billy gave Jake a reassuring smile, and he appreciated his dad's confidence.

"Thanks, Dad."

As a council member Billy had many additional responsibilities and rituals he would lead. He did it for anyone in the tribe who passed away, feeling proud of his heritage and felt that all Quileute members should be respected when they crossed over.

However, Harry was the first council member to pass away in over twenty-five years so the whole tribe was saddened, but also filled with curiosity and wonder at what the ceremony would be like. There would be drums, singing and dances. Billy would tell different legends of his tribe, including those of their spirit's life after it leaves its body.

A quick knock on the door and then it opened to reveal Charlie followed quickly by Bella. Charlie had on dress pants and a white button down shirt and a tie which if Jake knew more about fashion would have told him it had been in Charlie's closet for a couple decades.

"Hi, Billy, and Jake. Sorry for your loss," Bella said, giving Billy a small hug which he returned. Then her arm slid around Jake's waist and remained there.

"Hey, Bells." Jake gave her a smile, his arms around her.

Billy and Charlie spoke softly, tears in both of their eyes threatened to spill over and run down their cheeks.

No one liked funerals, but for Jake they always reminded him of his mother's. She was also given a lot of special treatment for being the wife of the "acting chief" of the tribe. Jake would much rather not go if he could avoid it.

"Dad, I was thinking of stay out with Leah today."

"Really?" Bella asked, her voice rising in surprise.

"Where has she been?" Charlie asked.

Jake's eyes looked up in thought for a moment before answering. "She doesn't feel comfortable being in the house right now, so her and some of our friends are hanging out together." Jake shrugged, hoping that worked as some excuse.

"Since when were you and Leah close?" Bella asked.

Jake listened carefully to see if he could hear jealousy in her voice, but she simply seemed curious.

"Jake has known Leah his whole life. I think she could use all the friends she can get right now," Billy answered for Jake.

"That makes sense, sorry." Bella frowned and released a deep sigh.

"Hopefully, we can hang out again soon," Jake told her, giving her a long hug.

Bella returned the hug, reaching up on her toes to whisper. "Any signs of Victoria?"

"No," Jake whispered back. Bella nodded and her shoulders relaxed some. "Try not to worry so much." Jake gave her a quick kiss on her hair.

"I'll try," Bella said.

"Talk to Embry at the funeral, he will help you find me and together we can use your scent to leave a trail." Jake whispered, his head still close to hers.

Bella nodded.

"See ya later, Bella." Jake walked to the pantry and grabbed the full loaf of bread, the jar of peanut butter, a knife, placed them in a plastic grocery sack and walked out the door. Once in the trees he took off his shorts, put them in the sack, and phased.

Immediately Jake could feel Leah's sorrow and despair over the loss of her father. He kept his thoughts quiet, but felt confident that she knew he was there.

 _What are you doing here, Black?_ She said, trying to mask her sadness with anger.

 _I brought lunch._

It didn't take long to find Leah, she was starving and hated eating raw. Jake didn't have much advice to give her because he didn't have an experience with it since he phased back so quickly. Despite her irritation, Leah felt curious.

Once close, Jake ducked behind a tree, phased back, and put his shorts on. Then he made peanut butter sandwiches for her and himself. For Leah he tossed them in the hair and she would catch them and just about swallow them whole. Together they went through the whole loaf of bread and jar of peanut butter, but it was fun and they were full.

"Better?" Jake asked.

Leah nodded her big head and released a deep sigh and flopped gracelessly under the shade of a large tree.

Jake walked around the tree to phase back and then joined Leah under the shade, resting his head on his paws.

The sky was bright blue with a few lazy clouds floating by and birds chirped nearby. From under the tree they could see a robin perched on her nest, poking her head inside, feeding her young. A warm breeze blew over Jake and he smiled content.

He wandered briefly about his dad, Charlie, Bella and the pack on how they had handled the funeral. Then his mind went to Emily. For a moment he had forgotten that Harry was her uncle and how his loss would have affected her deeply as well.

 _No it won't. She isn't family anymore,_ Leah said, her sharp claws scratching into the dirt.

 _She couldn't help what happened._

 _Why is everyone defending them!_ Leah gave a frustrated huffed.

 _Because it really isn't their fault. There is the thing that can happen once we become wolves, it's called imprinting. We can't control it, it controls us. I want to show you something, don't bite me. Okay?_

Leah gave no promise, so Jake cautiously shared with her Sam's memory of imprinting. Her wolf let out a whine as she learned how much Sam now loved Emily, but she could also see how much regret he also felt towards her. She also learned the truth of Emily's injuries and what had really happened to her.

Since he had the memories to share, he also thought of Emily's side of the story. He remembered Emily sobbing and Jake holding her, and without meaning to he also thought of kissing her.

 _Whoa! What the hell was that?_

 _Nothing._ Jake immediately tried to think of something else, but he knew that she would feel the panic in his thoughts.

 _No it wasn't! I want to know what is going on. I deserve to know._

 _I agree you do, but don't know how to answer you. Something is happening, but it is too early to know what. It seems like Emily really likes me and I don't really know why._

Leah snorted out a laugh. _I do, she has had a crush on you for years._

 _No way! Really?_ Jake knew Leah had talked about him with Emily, but he never dreamed that he would come across as appealing.

 _Trust me, I did not mean to make you seem flattering._

 _Figured._

 _You did not hear this from me, but I think she wanted to try to meet you when she came here, but… things changed._

Emily had told Jake she had plans for a future and dreams, but he didn't figure he had been part of those plans. This was really great information and seemed to make everything make sense.

 _Do you really think you have a chance with her?_ Leah asked.

 _I honestly have no idea, but yeah, I think I do._

Leah thought of Sam and wondered what would happen to him, but didn't really mean to ask the question.

 _I don't know what will happen to him. I go back and forth between not caring because I find him to be so irritating, and feeling guilty that I might destroy him. He "needs" her more than anything else._

Leah and Jake both had a lot on their mind, unfortunately for both there were far more questions than answers.

By nightfall, Jared and Embry phased in.

 _Jake, Sam wants you to take a break and go home,_ Embry told him. _And I walked with Bella for a couple hours after the funeral leaving the trail. I hope you don't mind that I was with her instead of you._

 _Sure, Embry, it's fine._

Leah sighed. The absence of Seth made her want someone to stay with her who she felt close to.

 _Come on, Leah, let's give it another try, then you'll be able to go home too,_ Jake said, hoping his happy thoughts would be encouraging.

Together they ran closer to her home. From the trees they heard Sue and Seth talking to each other. Leah longed to be with them and slowly her anger rose from her mind enough for her to be released from her wolf.

Immediately, Leah moaned and curled into herself, lying naked on the ground.

Jake phased back and quickly pulled his shorts on.

"Go away, Jake…" Leah trembled as she tried to cover herself up.

"Relax, Leah. I'll get you."

"But-"

"And, I won't look." Jake promised.

Leah nodded her head with a groan.

Jake scooped her up and did his best to keep his promise, but her muscles were sore and heavy, making her feel like dead weight. He shifted her closer to his body to carry her easily and Leah mumbled curses and threats with each step he took.

* * *

 **Next Chapter, Emily's POV!** Please remember to review/comment, I love to hear from my readers. Also, I'd appreciate you looking into my original work at JJLiniger dot com.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 (Emily POV, until the end changes back to Jake)**

A knock on the door made Billy roll towards it, yelling, "it's open!"

Emily balanced the casserole in one hand and quickly twisted the knob to let herself in. "Hello, Chief Black."

"Emily, what a pleasant surprise." The full pan of BBQ pulled pork smelled wonderful, and he took the warm dish from her hand, resting it in his lap before setting it on the counter.

"Yeah, well, everyone hasn't been coming as often. So, I thought maybe I would bring you something." Emily gave a nervous smile looking around. By "everyone" she really meant Jake, but didn't want Billy to know because of being part of the Council. She knew they all expected her and Sam to be together forever.

"I'm sure Jake will appreciate it." Billy smiled.

"Is he here?"

"Yes, he came home and crashed over twelve hours ago. Apparently dealing with Leah is exhausting." Billy chuckled.

Emily gave a sad nod, missing her cousin. She knew how crazy it was for the others to suddenly transform and for Leah, being the only female, she had no idea how she had managed. However, she trusted Jake to take good care of her.

When Sam called, telling her Harry was being transported to the hospital by ambulance and both Leah and Seth had phased, Emily thought he had lost his mind. Something creepy was happening and she couldn't understand what, but hoped it might repair some of the damage imprinting had caused. Maybe now Leah would know Sam and Emily couldn't help what had happened and it would allow her to forgive them. At least Emily could hope and pray for that to happen.

"Did you need Jake for something?" Billy asked.

"He mentioned looking at my car, and while I'm here, I guess I thought he might. But I can come back another time."

The bang of the bathroom door down the hall alerted them to the fact Jake was back in the land of the living.

"It sounds like you won't have to wait long."

"Thanks, Chief Black."

"You know you don't have to call me Chief. The title belongs to Sam as long as he is alpha."

Emily shrugged. "I know, but I still think of you as Chief Black and honestly so does most of the people."

Billy nodded in understanding.

Less than ten minutes later, Jake walked into the room with his shorts resting low on his hips and water dripping from his hair, running down his chest. _Did he even attempt to dry off before dressing?_

"Hey Dad! I'm starv…" Jake's voice tapered off once his eyes found Emily.

"You are in luck. Emily brought us some food."

"I always knew you were amazing." Jake gave her a grin and a quick wink.

Emily felt the heat on her cheeks and gave a quick glance to Billy. He chuckled and didn't appear to think much of the flirtatious banter.

Jake scooped a large portion on a plate and sat it on the table along with a glass of water.

"Do you mind if I also have a drink?" Emily asked.

"You can have this one." Jake reached the glass to her.

Her fingers brushed along his as the glass exchanged hands, causing her heart to leap up in her chest. Everything about Jake felt similar to Sam, but at the same time different. Imprinting with Sam was like an echo of love, it had the same voice, but was impossible to know where it originated from. With Jake she knew the excitement she felt when seeing him came from herself and knowing that made her happy.

Jake sat down with another glass of water and began to eat quickly. Emily wondered if Jake felt curious about her being there and assumed he must have been extremely hungry to not ask. It made her wonder even more about his time with Leah and if it really did wear him out like Billy claimed.

"How are you?" Emily asked.

"Good, and you?" Jake leaned forward, whispering. "Not that it isn't cool that you are here, but, what's up?"

"I just wanted to see how things were with you, since... everything."

"You mean, Leah." Jake filled in for her.

Emily nodded.

"It's fine, though it hasn't been easy."

"I'm glad that she was able to go home last night. Thanks for being with her." Emily released a deep sigh. Her heart ached for her former best friend and cousin. There was not a single day that went by that Emily didn't think of Leah. Every time she looked at Sam it was a reminder of the reason for her lose.

"Emily wanted you to check out her car if you had time," Billy said, rolling over to the counter for a cup of lukewarm coffee.

"Did you drive it here?" Jake asked.

"Yes."

"It is a small miracle that the piece of crap actually moves."

"Hey! I love that piece of crap. Two years ago I had to work all summer to be able to afford her."

"Well, then let's go see if I can put some life back in her." Jake grinned and sprung from the table, placed his dishes in the sink and walked towards the door.

Emily giggled, thankful Jake could make her laugh.

"After you." Jake opened the door and Emily walked under his arm and through the open door.

"Thanks."

"Let's look at your car before you start thanking me." Jake held his hand towards her palm up. "Keys, please."

"You think I'll just hand them over that easily." Emily smirked. She loved the flirtatious playfulness that came out of her around Jake. It lifted her spirits and made her feel good about herself.

"And what do I have to do? Frisk ya." Jake raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Maybe…" Emily giggled as Jake stepped closer to her.

His hand went to her hips. "You wouldn't happen to be one of those girls who carried everything in her bra?"

"No, I'm not. And how do you know women do that?"

"First off, damn. It would have been a good place for me to search. Secondly, I have two sisters, and thirdly, you women are not near as sneaky as you think. A rectangular cell phone doesn't exactly look like a boob."

"Okay, valid points."

Jacob's hands slide from her hips to the front of her thighs feeling a slight bulge on the right side. "Damn, I should have check your back pockets first."

"Yep," Emily said with a laugh and reached into her pocket to retrieve the keys. "Here, that was fun." She tossed the keys in the air and Jake caught them easily.

"Yes, it was."

Jake walked over to the garage, opening the door wide and then walked back towards her car.

"Are you driving it to your garage?" Emily asked.

"I was planning on it. Is it going to start or should I push it?"

"Well, I did drive it here, so it should start. I'll meet you over by the garage."

Once behind the wheel, Jake adjusted the seat for his long legs and then started the car with Emily standing outside near the driver side. It sounded slightly better than the last time they were in his car and Emily wondered if Jake could tell Sam had attempted to fix it.

The car coughed it way closer to the garage and then slowly rolled to vacant spot. With a pop, the hood rose and Jake looked inside. Emily watched his face as his hands danced over one part and landed on another.

"What are you looking for?"

"Right now just something obvious. Did you know your check engine light is on?"

"Yes, I checked, the engine was there," Emily replied.

"Haha, good one."

"Seriously, that has to be one of the most useless lights on a car. The oil light, check the oil. The tire pressure light, check the tires. The check engine light… What is anyone supposed to do with one?"

"You take it to a mechanic who knows what he is doing. By the way, who tried to work on your car?"

"Sam."

Jake nodded.

"He needed something to do after Seth and Leah phased."

"Does he know you are here?"

"No, since Leah phased out he has decided to give everyone a break and do the patrolling. Paul was asleep on the couch when I left."

"That gives us a couple hours. I'll look at this later." Jake put his arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him.

"Sounds good to me. I've missed seeing you." Emily laced her arms around his waist and leaned into his side. She could feel the heat of his skin seep through her shirt, caressing her skin.

Her long hair rested in a braid down her back, not hanging in her face the way it normally did since her accident. She knew that she didn't have to hide her scars from Jake and she liked the way he looked at her.

"What have you missed?" Jake asked curiously.

"Your smile and friendliness. Also the way you look at me."

"And how is it, different than… ?" Jake hesitated.

"Than with Sam," Emily offered.

Jake nodded.

"With Sam, it is like I'm the only woman in the world. His look is intense and consuming. With you, it's more that you want me."

"Yes, I do." Jake leaned down, brushing his lips with hers.

Emily kissed him back her heart soaring as it threatened to burst from her chest. Her long standing crush on Jacob had blossomed into joy which creeped closer to love with each touch they shared.

Jake's hand moved around her waist to her rear and a grin spread over his lips, making kissing difficult.

"My keys still aren't there," Emily whispered playfully.

"Just double checking," Jake mumbled his lips staying connected to hers.

"Always good to be cautious." The second the words left her lips, Emily wished that she hadn't of said them.

Jake leaned back from her. "Yeah, especially when you're cheating with your alpha's imprint."

"Jake…" Emily sighed, reaching out towards him.

Jake raised his hands for her to stop and stepped back, leaning against this tool chest. "That is exactly what we are doing Emily. To me Sam is an ass who drives me crazy and because of that part of me doesn't care if we hurt him. But, what about you? What is he to you?"

Emily took a thoughtful breath. "It's hard to explain. I do feel something. I think is part of the imprint. It is not completely one sided. But this whole ordeal has been difficult and I feel like because of imprinting I have lost everything. With you, I hope that I can get my life back."

"Do you love him?"

"I don't know, I guess part of me does. But I don't _want_ to love him, I want something different."

"Maybe you should tell him that, and then we could be together."

"I will, soon." For the past several months she had resided herself to the fact Sam would be her life from now on. She wondered how he would take her change of heart. Would he accept what she wanted? Would it destroy him if she were to choose Jake?

* * *

JACOB'S POV

* * *

Jake grinned excited that she would soon become his. He immediately stepped closer to her, hugging her tightly. He felt Emily sink into his embrace, knowing she was going to do one of the hardest things she had ever done.

"Thank you, Emily." Seeing the sacrifice she was willing to make for him, made him realize how much he loved her. No one had ever chosen him and made him feel wanted. He loved the way she served those around him and he wanted her to feel appreciated for what she did.

He kissed her softly, hoping that she could feel his new found feelings, however his moment was cut short from a voice outside.

"Jake!" Embry called.

"The garage, Em!" Jake yelled back to his friend.

He gave Emily another quick squeeze and then he moved back to the car as Embry entered the building.

"Hey!" Embry greeted with a smile, looking around and then his eyes widened in surprise seeing Emily. Immediately, he coughed.

"Hey Em, want to help me with Em's car," Jake chuckled, finding it humorous that his friends had the same nickname.

"Sure. What's wrong with it?" Embry asked.

"The awful noise is it needing new belts. The filters and oil have all been replaced recently."

Embry nodded his head, licking his lips like something in his mouth irritated him.

The guys worked well together, quickly immersing their arms in grease and dirt.

"How long has Emily been here?" Embry asked and coughed again.

"About an hour. Are you okay?" Jake asked him.

"Yeah," he coughed again, "I'm fine."

Jake shook his head knowing that a fellow wolf couldn't get sick. Looking around the dirt floored garage, he didn't see anything that would irritate his friend. Besides, Embry had been in the garage countless number of times and the air had never bothered him before.

The choking cough reminded Jake of when he was trying to talk to Bella. He remembered that invisible hand which reached out to strangle his vocal chords making him studder and cough like an idiot. Embry seemed to not be as intense, however the similarity made Jake want to test what Embry could talk about and what he could not.

"Did you patrol today?" Jake asked.

"No, Sam gave us all the day off. Which was nice, if I am out much more, then Mom is going to kick me out."

Jake frowned. "I'm really sorry. I wish you could tell her."

"Me too."

"Is it Sam that keeps you from telling her?" Jake asked.

"Maybe, I can talk to him." Emily offered.

Embry jumped at Emily's voice, almost like he had forgotten she was there. Jake watched him closely his mouth open and closing.

"Cat got your tongue, Em?"

Embry shook his head. "It's, it's nothing."

"Here's the thing, Embry, I've experienced this same 'nothing' that you are. Do you remember the night when Bella came to see me?"

"Yeah…"

"I was blubbering around the same way you are now. Did Sam order you to not say something?"

Embry immediately went rigid and Jake knew his body wasn't allowing him to nod or shake his head.

"Relax and think of something else, anything, and you'll be able to talk again."

Embry took a couple deep breaths and gave another cough. "It's better, but I don't think I can, continue."

"Is it about your mom?" Jake asked.

"No."

"I think it is about me," Emily stated stepping closer to Jake's other side.

Jake looked at her, his hand moving to the small of her back without him realizing it. "Why would it be about you?"

Embry looked at Jake and Emily together and reached out his hand to his throat like he couldn't breathe. His chest heaved, and he continued to cough. Jake felt like he was watching his best friend having some type of strange seizure all because of something Sam didn't want him to say.

Rage filled Jake as he stepped closer to Embry. "Tell me!"

Embry's eyes widened as his breaths came in and out with a raspy affect.

A power, which Jake didn't know he had, started within his clinched fists and shook down his body until it settled over his chest. A low growl escaped his lips as he watched his friend in despair. "I am ordering you! Tell me now!"

Embry gave a final cough and took a deep breath. Quickly his breathing returned to normal.

In a strong and stable voice he said, "Sam knows… He knows about you and Emily…"


	16. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:** Typically when indicating thought I use italics, but I also use _italics_ anytime the wolves are speaking to each other in wolf form. In this chapter I have moments when the wolves are thinking about a particular scene rather than speaking to distinguish that from speech, I have it both _italics and underlined._ Hopefully, that won't be too confusing.

 _A power, which Jake didn't know he had, started within his clinched fists and shook down his body until it settled over his chest. A low growl escaped his lips as he watched his friend in despair. "I am ordering you! Tell me now!"_

 _Embry gave a final cough and took a deep breath. Quickly his breathing returned to normal and in a strong voice he said, "Sam knows… He knows about you and Emily…_ "

 **Chapter 15**

"What?" exclaimed both Jake and Emily in unison.

"I'm sorry, Jake." Embry frowned. "I was patrolling outside of Bella's house and I was tired and didn't notice anyone phase in. So, I was just thinking of stuff to keep myself awake and, well… You two are kinda fascinating to think about…"

"Oh, my god. I need to find him." Emily's teeth found her lower lip nervously.

"Wait!" Jake reached towards Emily taking her hand, while looking at Embry. "And Sam ordered you to not say anything to me," Jake said.

"Correct." Embry sighed.

"How did you break the order?" Jake asked.

"I didn't, you did," Embry answered.

"What? How?" Jake's eyes widened in surprise. He remembered fighting Sam when he ordered him away from Bella and there wasn't anything Jake could do to stop the order. What had changed between then and now? He shook his head in confusion.

"Because you are alpha," Emily answered.

Jake's eyebrows raised and his eyes couldn't get any wider. "What are you talking about?"

"It's true, Jake. You know your great grandfather was the last chief, and he was chief because of being alpha and so technically you should be."

Emily added, "Sam was going to tell you, but then things got so confrontational he decided that you weren't ready."

"I could be alpha." Jake nodded his head, despite feeling surprised everything they said made sense. All along there was something more than teenage rebellion which made Jake fight Sam's leadership. For the first time Jake's wolf felt at peace, no longer being denied it birthright.

"You already are, Jake," Embry encouraged.

"I need to find Sam, he has some explaining to do." Jake felt a righteous fury settle over his soul until he felt a cool hand take his.

"We both do," Emily reminded him.

Jake nodded and took a deep breath and hugged her. "I know we do. Have you decided what you're going to do?"

"I don't want to hurt him." Emily frowned, looking sad.

"I think you are already past that," Embry said. "What are you going to do, Jake?"

"I'm taking back what's mine!"

* * *

A half an hour later Jake ran through the trees on four paws. Another set of paws ran towards him in equal determination and rage. The sun and clouds prepared for battle in the sky as the two wolves did the same on land.

 _You are not!_ Sam said, in response to Jake's declaration of alpha.

 _Yes, I am, and you know it._

 _Not unless I step down and that's not going to happen._

 _You do not have as much control as you think you do._ Jake sneered. He purposefully shared Embry being released from Sam's order when Jake's order over trumped Sam's.

A defiant growl erupted from Sam as black fur collided with auburn. Both wolves clawed and bit at the other with patches of fur flying in all directions.

 _I am stronger than you, and I am finished following your leadership,_ Jake declared. He lunged at Sam, who was helped by a gust of wind to dodged out of the way.

The sky looked more gray than blue as clouds consumed the area.

The two wolves circled around each other, their ears back in determination. After completing another rotation, Jake slammed his head into Sam's shoulder in an attempt to make the wolf loose his balance.

Sam growled loudly. _You are wrong about one thing, Jacob._ His mighty paw slammed into Jake, proving that Sam's months of phasing had made him the stronger of the two wolves.

Jake growled, ignoring the pain in his shoulder and the blood which oozed down his leg. His sharp teeth found Sam's hind leg.

Sam whimpered in pain and darted from Jake's jaws, running through the trees with the auburn wolf hot on his trail.

The wind caused the branches of the trees to rub harshly against one another as one gust danced with another. As the clouds further filled the sky, the surrounding area grew darker.

It wasn't just the position of alpha the two wolves were fighting for, there was also Emily. The honor of his imprint was foremost in Sam's mind, which fueled Jake's exasperation.

 _You old fashioned prick, I have not defiled her. Good God…_ Jake shook his head and dodged the next blow which Sam attempted to land.

 _Why, Jacob? You know the importance of an imprint._

Jake didn't mean to answer Sam's question, but one of the annoyance of being in wolf form was sharing beyond what Jake really wanted to share.

 _Jake remembered how angry he felt after Sam ordered him away from Bella, not allowing Jake to see her. He wanted to hurt Sam in the same way. Before Jake could stop it a memory from Sam flashed across his mind, it was about Emily. What if Jake could somehow keep Sam away from her? No, it's impossible, Jake reminded himself. They are imprinted, nothing could keep them apart. Then Jake remembered the first memory Sam had shared with him. Before Sam had hurt Emily, she was pushing him away. It was possible! If she could do it once, then she could do it again!_

 _You are such an idiot, Jacob!_

 _It isn't like that anymore! I care about her._

 _Your "caring" is nothing compared to what I feel. I love her!_

 _So do I!_ Jake declared.

Though Jake had yet to say the same to Emily, he knew it was true. Thinking about her brought a huge grin to his face, and he loved that she had come to see him today. He had grown closer to her with each conversation that they shared. When he saw Bella again and only wanted to be her friend, he knew the reason was because of Emily. Before Jake pursued Emily, he thought she was kind and the way she took care of everyone proved she had a heart of gold. But she wasn't just sweet, she was also full of passion. He enjoyed kissing her and feeling each of her curves as his hand roamed over her skin.

Sam released a howl, partly full of pain and agony over the betrayal of his imprint and brother and partly consumed with hatred and rage. Jake fell to his stomach feeling the same wave of emotion as his former alpha. Sam leaned over his adversary.

 _I would destroy you myself Jacob, but you have already done more damage than you realize. Emily will stay with me, and The Council will have you thrown out of the tribe for disgracing an imprint._

 _What?_ Jake asked.

 _I talked to Harry before he died. There is no possible reconciliation for a wolf who sleeps with another wolf's imprint._ Sam sneered. He showed Jake his conversation with Harry.

" _Sam," Harry said, his eyebrows raise, curious and surprised. "What can I do for you?"_

" _I need some advice."_

" _Name it." Harry turned, giving Sam his full attention._

" _Well, I wanted to get your opinion on something," Sam said._

 _Harry rubbed his jaw and rested his hand on his chest waiting patiently._

" _What should I do if," Sam felt the same rage, which had washed over his body as a wolf, tremor down his human form, "if a another wolf were to sleep with an imprint who is not his own?"_

" _Whoa, that is a very serious concern." Harry leaned towards Sam in interest and curiosity._

" _I know."_

" _Assuming the wolf knows she is an imprint." Harry's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he waited a moment before speaking. "Then the offending wolf would be ostracized from the pack and tribe."_

 _Perfect, Sam nodded silently. "Is there anything the wolf could do to be redeemed?"_

" _No." Harry took a deep breath, his face grimacing in what looked to be pain. "Do you have something you want to report to the Council?"_

" _Yes, but… Are you okay?" Sam asked._

 _Harry wasn't okay,_ said Sam. _The pack has been busy with the addition of Seth and Leah so I have yet to go to The Council, but believe me Jacob, I will!_

Jake shook his head unsure of how to handle this new threat. Was Emily worth being thrown out of the tribe? Would his father and sisters understand? No, they wouldn't. No one would understand.

 _I haven't slept with her,_ Jake clarified.

 _Yeah, right. Like I believe that._ Sam growled in frustration, however for a moment he peered inside Jake's mind and knew that he told the truth. Emily was still Sam's in the way that mattered the most.

Sam had allowed Jake to see moments of Emily and Sam's life together, but he always stopped the memory short of giving him a peep show. However, not today. The alpha male was proud of his conquest and wanted anyone and everyone to know Emily belonged to him. The memories shared were intimate and passionate.

A bolt of lightning trailed across the sky as jealousy fueled within Jake. He lunged once again for the black wolf. _She doesn't want you!_

Jake growled. They rolled to the ground with one overtaking the other and then continued to tumble. A sharp fang sliced into the fur close to Sam's ear.

Another howl made Jake jump away from Sam and his head darted around. It sounded like one of his brothers, but he couldn't hear another voice in his head.

 _Where is she!_ Sam roared, bolting at full speed through the trees.

Jake followed as thoughts of Emily flooded Sam's mind. Panic, desperation, and concern filled him through Sam, but Jake didn't know why.

 _What?_ Jake questioned.

 _What do you mean, what? Can't you hear him?_ Sam growled.

 _No! Who?_

 _It's Paul, he can't find Emily._ Sam released a howl, its piercing shrill signaled to the other wolves they were to join him.

 _If she isn't at her house, then she is with Embry in my garage,_ Jake answered. _What's wrong?_

 _Victoria is back! Seriously! Why are you and Paul not hearing each other?_

Both wolves were still frustrated with each other and knew that their fight was far from over, but the return of Victoria needed to be their priority.

 _I don't know. Where is Victoria?_ Jake asked.

 _Paul smelled her near the house then seemed to be following the trail Embry and Bella placed, but he wasn't sure. This is so weird..._ Sam mumbled, still confused on why Jake and Paul couldn't hear each other.

One tree after another whizzed past his head as Jake ran alongside Sam. The woods filled with more growls and howls as the rest of the pack phased in. Finally, Jake heard Embry enter his mind.

 _What took you so long?_ Jake scolded.

 _I wasn't sure what to do. Bella stopped by while Emily and I were still in your garage. When I heard Sam's howl, I took both of them inside your house. They are going to stay with your dad until I know what was going on. Which is, what exactly?_

 _Victoria's…_ Jake's words trailed off as he came to a sliding halt in front of Jared, Seth and Leah. They were all in wolf form, yet he didn't hear a single word from any of them. Leah paced back and forth, angry growls erupting from her snout. She was certainly talking, but Jake didn't hear a thing. Something was terribly wrong!

 _Jake!_ Embry howled. _Why can't we hear them?_

 _You can't hear them either?_ Jake questioned.

 _Who are you talking to Jacob?_ Sam asked.

 _Embry, Neither of us can hear the others, except for you._

 _I don't hear anyone but you, not even whoever you are talking to. I'm guessing it is Sam, which means you guys are handling each other much better than I imagined—_

 _Shut up! Victoria is more pivotal right now. The fight with Sam is far from over…_

Suddenly, Leah snapped her jaws in Jake's face, her hair raised on edge. He didn't have to read her mind to know that she wanted answers.

 _I want them, too._ Jake leaned towards Leah, nuzzling his head against her shoulder affectionately.

Paul and Sam both growled at them.

 _I think I know what happened,_ Embry said, capturing Jake's attention. _When you ordered me to tell you and I did, then you became my alpha. There are two separate packs!_

Two packs. Two alphas. It made sense, but Jake didn't know what to do. He didn't know about the possibility of being alpha and then suddenly, he had Embry as his responsibility. There wasn't anything Jake wouldn't do for his best friend, but was he ready to lead?

 _Do you still want me as your leader?_ Jake asked Embry.

 _I'll follow you anywhere. Either back to Sam or after this crazy redheaded leech._

 _Let's take her out!_ Jake released a deep howl, ready for action.

 _This way, assuming she is following the trail that Bella and I left._

 _Sam! We will figure the rest out later. For now I know that Embry and I are our own pack, but we are still united in the pursuit of Victoria. Let's go!_

 _Alright,_ Sam agreed.

It felt strange to look around at his brothers and sister and not be connected to their head. Even Sam was quieter than he used to be. Communication with between Jake and Sam seemed like a walky-talky, which meant they had to purposefully communicate and send messages instead of an all access pass like it was before.

Seven wolves ran through the trees, the tension between them radiating around them. Leech scent quickly filled their nostrils as they approached her area. Jake scanned the area in search of blazing red which trailed behind her rocket fast legs.

The storm which had toyed with the angry wolves for the past hour finally arrived. Despite being the middle of the afternoon, darkness settled around them, except for the bolts of lightning which stretched across the sky.

 _Seth wants to know why he smells blood._ Sam relayed the message.

 _It's probably Bella's, she kinda tripped and then started smearing it on the trees. I was going to have her stop, but, it was kinda a good idea,_ Embry answered..

 _Embry, lead us there. Her blood would capture her attention quickly._

Jake relayed the message to Sam and then the wolves shifted to all be following Embry. The wind tore through the trees making her scent difficult to follow.

 _I sure hope you know where you're going, Em._

After splashing through a wide creek they saw the first flash of red dart from one tree to another. Growls echoed through the forest as they veered closer to their conquest.

Suddenly a vicious howl turned into words as Leah joined inside Jake's mind.

 _Leah! What the hell!?_ Jake yelled.

 _If you aren't following him than neither am I!_ Leah declared.

 _Alright, fine!_

 _And now you have Leah, too?_ Sam growled.

 _What? Are you saying you want her back?_ Jake taunted.

While the lines of communication were open between them, Jake saw into Sam's mind. Sam did want her back, but not only as his alpha. Before Leah phased he thought of her randomly, but since she joined the pack, he thought of her almost daily. It didn't help that he also knew about his unfaithful imprint and while he still considered Emily very much HIS he was also hurt and angry with her. Instead of trying to figure out why Emily would be interested in another wolf, his focus shifted to another. The love that he had for Leah festered and riveled with the love he had for Emily.

 _Sam, still loves Leah,_ Jake said.

 _God, can this day get any worse,_ Leah moaned. While she tried to appear annoyed, Jake could feel her curiosity. Since she knew of Jake and Emily being together, she also wondered about her and Sam, which made her even more angry at herself.

The wolves continued to chase the streaks of red, knowing that if they lost sight of her, they would lose her. Rain fell from the sky and the wind scattered her scent making it impossible to trace.

Like a torpedo falling from the sky, a blonde bloodsucker landed on a sandy brown wolf. Seth immediately bucked his back legs, but the leeches fingernails held on like talons.

 _Seth!_ Leah growled, but her brother couldn't hear her. He was in the other pack. _Oh my god, what have I done!?_

The gray wolf lunged towards the leech perched on her brother's back, fangs bared and ready to slice through ice hard flesh.

 _Call her back, Jacob!_ Sam yelled to him.

 _Hell no! Seth needs help._

Sam growled and Jake guessed he said something to Paul and Jared who sprinted ahead in pursuit of the red head. Sam remained back to help Leah.

Leah reared up like a horse pawing viciously at the blond bloodsucker and Embry rammed into Seth, causing the young wolf to lose his balance. Seth rolled to his side, and the vampire screamed as he fell to the ground.

Jake slammed his mighty paws against the leeches torso, his strong jaws crunched around his shoulder dislocating his arm. Within seconds Leah joined in the dismemberment until nothing remained but shreds of clothing and chunks of hard rotten flesh.

Sam being unneeded, he ran on with Paul and Jared. Howls from Sam's pack echoed around them and lightning streaked across the dark sky. Rain tore through the heavy clouds soaking them.

 _Are you alright, Seth?_ Leah cried, her snout searching over her brother. A whine left her throat as she remembered that Seth still couldn't hear her.

 _Sam!_ Jake yelled. _Is Seth alright?_

 _Yes, just hurting. It sliced deeply into his back, give it an hour or two and he'll be fine. I need you all up here._

While connected to Sam, Jake looked around at his brothers to find their location. Victoria had followed Bella's blood laid trail until she felt it leading her to a trap. Instinctively, she changed directions, running directly towards the ocean, but had to weave through the trees slowing her progress. Her typical escape route. From his location if he ran straight he might be able to reach the cliffs before her.

 _Let's go, Jake. Hopefully we can end this!_ Embry said.

 _I'm staying with my brother,_ Leah declared.

 _Okay,_ Jake agreed.

Within seconds streaks of russet and silver wove quickly through the trees towards their destination. Jake knew Bella was freaked out by this vampire and felt surprised she had told the same to Embry.

 _Has Bella talked about the Cullens to you?_ Embry asked.

 _Not really. I actually haven't talked to her lately. I need to be a better friend to her._

 _You are doing the best you can._

 _Why do you ask?_ Jake asked.

 _I guess I was just curious. She really dated a vampire? I don't get it. I started to ask her when we left the trail, but I chickened out._

 _I don't blame you._

 _You can see it in her eyes when she is thinking about them,_ Embry added.

 _And in the way she holds herself. Something in her spirit got wounded when they left. I don't get it. The Cullens are different or we wouldn't have a treaty with them, but I don't know how she was able to be around them without being creeped out. I guess Bella is just good with weird._

 _Yeah, that's for sure,_ Embry agreed.

Their paws splashed through puddles formed by the thunderstorm resting over them. Trees whizzed by as Jake ran with everything he had and Embry trailed on his heals.

Jake stayed connected to Sam to make sure she did not change directions.

 _I'm not sure we can make it before her, Jake,_ Embry said.

 _I know, but we have to keep trying._

The muscles in Jake's wolf protested and the fight earlier with Sam made him unable to function at his best. Ignoring the pain, Jake pushed his body harder.

Reconnecting with Sam, Jake saw flashes of red hair through the trees and felt the ground rumble beneath their feet. All the trees looked alike and Jake couldn't identify their specific location.

 _Where are you?_ Jake asked.

No one answered.

Jared had the best eyesight of the wolves and therefore Sam let him run in front, with Sam and Paul on either side. Their wolves ran together in perfect synchronization until Sam began to slow.

 _Jared, pull back,_ Sam ordered.

 _What are you doing?_ Jake questioned and at the same time lost contact with Sam. He tried to reconnect, but Sam felt guarded like he was keeping Jake out.

 _What's happening?_ Embry asked.

 _I don't know. I can't get in with Sam. It felt like he had a plan or something he doesn't want me to know about._

 _I thought we were together on this. We all want this leech dead._

 _I thought so, too,_ Jake said.

A low growl rumbled in Jake's chest as he wove through the trees. His thick wet fur felt heavy as the rain continued to fall from the sky. The trees thinned as they approached the cliffs, which gave way to the harsh ocean. Looking up into the trees, Jake looked for flashes of fiery red and listened to the rumble of paws thumping against the soil.

The rocky cliffs made it difficult for many trees to grow, however there was one branch of the forest that continued. Jake felt certain if she remained in the trees she would follow them to this cluster and then propel herself over the edge. There was only one way to stop her and that required Jake to be in the tree.

 _You can't take her human_ , Embry cautioned.

 _I have to try. It's my only option. Be ready down here for anything. The element of surprise is all we have._

 _Be careful._

Jake nodded and phased to human. He didn't care about clothes and immediately leaped for the first branch of the tree and began to climb higher. His left foot slipped on the wet bark and he felt the wood slice into his flesh.

"Ouch, crap." Jake winced and positioned his heel against the tree to keep his balance as blood pooled on the branch. Ignoring the pain, he continued to climb, but being more careful and slightly less rushed.

Perched on the last thick limb, Jake waited. The rain splattered against his skin. He used his hand to guard his eyes.

The thumping of heavy paws grew louder. Embry, down below hunched on his back legs ready for the unknown. Jake saw the branches sway as Victoria sprung from one tree to the next directly towards him. Fear tingled down his spine and his muscles froze.

 _What the hell was I thinking? It's too late now..._

He knew she would be lightning fast and didn't trust his human eyes to be able to see her movement. Luckily, she appeared to have a rhythm to her jumping. Still three trees away Jake leaped from the tree towards nothing, hoping he had timed it correctly to collide with a racing vampire.

Jake and Victoria slammed together like two massive cannon balls exploding on contact. He felt the air get slammed from his lungs and his torso cave in on itself as ribs splintered inside his chest. The impact knocked him out, landing unconscious on the hard wet ground, tangled with a vicious vampire.


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Was it possible to be run over by a freight train and survive? That was how he felt as awareness came back to Jake's mind. A groan left his lips as his leg shifted against the soft fabric covering his naked body.

 _Where am I?_

His wounded lungs worked hard and each rise in his chest made his ribs feel like they were on fire. The pain caused his eyes to roll up into his head and he had to fight to keep conscious. Fluttering his eyes, they squinted against the bright sunlight pouring in through his bedroom window. In his mind, he remembered flashes of red and the sparkle of dead flesh as it became exposed to the sun's rays. His body shook, and he groaned again.

 _How did I get here?_

Looking around the room, objects appeared fuzzy until he blinked enough times for his body to focus. Through the window, the colors of the sun painted a picture in the morning sky. Everything appeared familiar except for an additional padded chair between his dresser and closet door. It had once sat in the living room and would be too difficult for Billy to move it. With her body curled into a ball, he saw thick black hair draped over a scarred cheek. Emily.

No one had ever looked more beautiful, and he felt his breath catch at the sight. He didn't know how she had learned of his injuries, but felt honored to have her close by. There was a million other places she could have been, or more specifically one major place; with Sam. Instead, she slept in a chair Jake knew to be lumpy and had a few springs loose.

Staring at her, he saw the image blur and then refocus. Was she his imagination? He wanted to touch her, to know what was real. Rolling to his side, the twist in his ribs made him shout out in pain. The movement reminded him of his labored breathing and wounded body.

"Jake, be still," he heard coming from the chair, his eyes pinched together. He felt a tender touch start at his calf and softly move to his hip. "How are you feeling?"

"Emily?"

"Yes."

"I'm okay," he lied. "Where's everyone?"

"Seth is in your sisters' room with Leah. The leech sliced through one of the nerves on his back. He didn't have any feeling on his right arm. Aunt Sue feels confident once the nerve heals he will be fine."

Jake's hand found hers and threaded their fingers together.

Emily smiled and continued. "It was easier on her for you and Seth to be in the same house. Embry carried you here, stayed until late last night, and then needed to get home so his mother wouldn't worry."

He noticed she never mentioned Sam and though he felt curious, he really didn't care. But he did want to know what happened with the fight.

"Was Embry hurt? What all happened?"

"He wasn't hurt badly. Supposedly after you fell, then Paul and Jared joined Embry in tearing the female apart. Sam burned her and the other. Seth initially was brought to our house, and you were taken here."

 _Our_ house.

The acknowledgement that she was Sam's hurt. Maybe there wasn't anything Jake could do. He knew Emily cared for him, but the pull of imprinting must have been too great. Jake took a labored breath and released it slowly, letting go of their joined hands. Her smooth fingertips trailed up his arm, resting gently on his shoulder.

"God Jake, do you seriously have to flash the room?" Leah said, making her entrance.

"It's nothing you haven't seen before," Jake countered and rolled his eyes.

"True," Leah acknowledged.

"I'll let Sue know you're awake. But, uhm, you might want to cover up a bit." Emily blushed.

"Thanks, Em."

From Jake's movements, the blanket settled on the bed exposing his nakedness. Along his side medical tape attempted to keep his ribs in place and he guessed there wasn't much of him Sue hadn't already seen.

Emily smiled and leaned towards Jake, giving him a peck on his lips. Jake's eyebrows lifted in surprise, his eyes glancing over at Leah while his lips temporarily forgot how to function. Why did she kiss him?

Emily blushed again and left the room.

"Good God, Jake. I haven't wanted to kiss you, but that pretty much sealed the 'never' deal. That looked terrible."

"Shut up, Leah. I wasn't expecting it."

"Why not? You guys have been messing around for a while. Right?" Leah plopped on the side of the bed next to him.

Jake winced slightly from the bed shifting. "Yeah, I guess, but-"

"But what?"

"I don't know. I'm trying to figure out what is going on after waking up from… How long was I knocked out?"

"Almost two days. You actually gave us a little of a scare."

"Awww, you do care." Jake smiled at Leah, in return she punched his shoulder sending pain down his arm. "Oh… just kidding."

"Better." Leah nodded and stood to make room for her mother to come closer to Jake.

"How are you feeling, Jacob?" Sue asked.

"Like I'd been run over by a vampire."

"Seems accurate." Sue nodded and moved the blankets from his torso, making sure the tape was still tight across his skin. "I'm going to give you some pain medication, and Emily will be bringing you some soup. As your body heals, you'll be more hungry. It'll be important to drinks lots of water and get as many nutrients as you can."

"Alright, thanks Sue."

"We are all glad you made it through," she smiled and ruffled his short hair in a motherly gesture.

"I am, too." Jake shifted on the bed and hissed as pain tore down his side.

Leah sighed and helped place some pillows behind his head allowing him to sit up slightly. It made eating and drinking more comfortable. When Emily brought a tray of food with her Leah moved.

"Your mom wants you to bring the same to Seth." Emily lifted the tray in her arms. "I left one on the counter for you."

"Thanks." Leah paused for a moment staring at her cousin and former best friend. Jake saw sadness in the two women as they passed each other. They missed each other, and he wondered if either said the words out loud.

Emily sat where Leah had been on the edge of Jake's bed and held the tray in her lap. She handed him a tall plastic bottle with a straw. The cool water felt good against his dry throat and the food disappeared as quickly as Emily brought it to his mouth.

It reminded him of when he had first met her. He had been taken to her house after phasing back for the first time and she fed him breakfast and helped him to the restroom. He was shy and unsure of himself, especially when it came to women. In many ways he felt the same now. What should he say to her?

"You are starting to slow down. Are you full?" Emily asked.

"No, just thinking."

She nodded and gave him another bite. Her patience amazed him. Was she not curious about his thoughts? That seemed unlikely and if it were the case, Jake wondered about hers and not speaking wasn't one of his strengths.

He took a bite of the roll and crumbs sprinkled on his chest which Emily brushed away. Her fingertips tickled. Jake laughed and immediately wished he hadn't. His lungs and ribs burst into flames inside his chest and he cursed in pain.

"Jake! I'm sorry." Emily balanced the tray in her lap and winced in sympathy.

"It's not your fault." Jake took several slow breaths to settle the throb which consumed his body. "I'm actually really glad you're here."

Emily smiled. "This is where I want to be."

She leaned forward and gently pressed her lips to his. Jake kissed her back, unsure of what the affection meant for them, but wanted to show he wanted her as well. In his fight with Sam, Jake admitted he loved Emily, and he did, but felt unsure about saying the intimate words out loud.

Did that make him a coward? He hoped not. There was nothing for him to lose by being honest and sharing his feelings, but he still felt uncertain. What if Emily didn't feel the same? What if she did? Could she leave Sam to be with him? What if she already had?

The thought made him gasp against her lips. Emily leaned back and his hand found her face. His thumb could feel the ridges of her scarred cheek.

"I don't want to keep hurting you," she said.

"You're not, not at all. I need to know what's going on. Have you talked to Sam?"

"Yes." She turned her head, her long hair covering her face. He wanted to see her eyes and mouth. Was she happy or sad, or both? Emily moved the tray from her lap to the dresser. Her hands twitched at her sides.

"It was really hard, but I told Sam that I didn't want to be with him anymore." Emily brushed the tears from her cheeks and continued. "He was, for good reason, upset. Whether either of us want it or not, we are physically and emotionally tied to one another. I hate that this has happened. Right now, Sam just hates me and you, but I hope in time he'll see that this is all for the best. Unless…"

Her sad eyes turned to Jake, he could see the pressure and uncertainty she felt. She had laid her emotional life down for him and he needed to reassure her that it was for the right reasons.

"Emily, come here," Jake said, reaching towards her. She took his hand and sat down next to him. "I want you to know that I think you are strong, beautiful, and kind. I've never known someone who takes care of other people the way you do. You need to know and I want to say it; I love you."

Jake pulled her towards him, capturing her mouth with his. Emily's hands found his shoulders and he could feel her trying to keep a safe distance. He didn't care about his injuries or the pain it might cause he wanted to feel her body against his and melt into one another like they had when they made out in the rain. Their tongues danced together and he could feel the curves of her chest against his. It felt like heaven.

Though it had been fun to sneak around and knowing it was naughty had its own excitement, now the relationship felt more real and substantial. As Jake kissed her and felt her body, for the first time he was with someone he could call his own.

"Seriously, break it up!" Leah said, making her entrance. "I almost didn't come in here because I thought for sure you wouldn't be stupid enough to make out with him half dead. Clearly, your pain medication is working…"

"What do you want Leah?" Jake asked, taking a much needed breath and kept his arm around Emily.

"Oh, I just thought I would inform you that your dad is back home and I assume he'll want to see your face and not the back of Emily's head."

Emily blushed and moved her hand to straighten out her hair.

"Thanks, it's appreciated," Jake said. "Where has he been?"

"His wheels were getting ready to tear a pathway in the living room, so Charlie insisted they go out for some fresh air. Of course that happens to be the day you decide to come back to the land of the living."

"I should go check on Seth, that's why your dad thinks I'm here," Emily said.

"Did you normally sleep in that god-awful chair?" Jake asked, nodding towards the corner.

"Yes. Leah stayed in Seth's room, Sue's on the couch, and so I volunteered to be in here. Do you think he suspects anything?"

Leah snorted out a laugh. "He's been too worried about Jake, but even he would probably notice your faces fused together."

Emily blushed again and walked towards the door.

Jake heard the wheels of Bill's chair roll across the hardwood floor towards his room. He took a much needed breath. "Thanks for the cover, Lee."

"Don't mention it, literally." She gave a wave. "I'm out and good luck!"

She dashed from the room and a moment later Billy's chair charged into the room. It was good the ladies left because they most likely would have been run over. Jake had never seen his father so upset. If smoke could come from his ears, it would have complimented the red flush over Billy's face.

"What the hell were you thinking!?"

"Uh… I don't know…?" Jake panicked and stared at his father. How could he explain the unexplainable? He was in love with his alpha's imprint. His labored lungs worked hard as his pulse increased.

"You damn near killed yourself!"

 _Oh… that…_ He wasn't upset about Emily, but his crazy stunt with Victoria. Jacob nodded, feeling that he should have figured that out sooner. "Sorry, Dad. It was all I could think of at the time. She has run away too many times, it needed to be stopped."

Billy sighed and touched his son's shoulder. "Not like this."

"Maybe you're right." Jake leaned his head back against his pillow. With a mostly full stomach, exhaustion had settled over him. His eyes felt heavy.

"I'm glad you wanted to protect Bella and that this whole ordeal is over."

"Has Bella been here?"

"Yes, her and Charlie both. It was her idea to say you were in a freak camping accident. It is hard to explain half of your body shattering."

Jake winced. "I'll have to thank her for the cover. Maybe with Victoria gone, I'll have time to be a better friend to her."

"Charlie said she went to Embry's house, you might call over there. I'll bring you the phone."

"Nah, not now. I'm feeling tired. If there is anything more to eat, I'd take some and then hopefully go back to sleep. I'm sorry, I worried you."

"Things happen, just don't do it again." Billy gave Jake's shoulder a squeeze and then rolled himself back to the kitchen.

Jake heard movement and voices, but not the specific words. A few minutes later, Sue brought him a meat filled sandwich. He managed to feed himself, but allowed her to hold the water bottle. Once finished, she asked if he needed anything, with a shake of his head Jake quickly went back to sleep

* * *

Jake awoke to complete darkness. The sun had set, and the moon was nowhere to be seen. Only the twinkle of tiny stars lit the black sky. An ache made its way across his chest, but felt less painful than when he had first awaken hours earlier. His body was healing.

Taking a labored breath, he listened. He didn't hear anyone snoring across the room, but he did hear voices from the living room. After another pause, he heard a commercial indicating it was the TV.

His legs tingled, and he wanted to get up. With caution, he shifted his legs to the side of the bed. It wasn't the only thing that groaned from his moments. Purple and black bruises covered his left side, but he didn't see a cast or anything to indicate he had broken anything down there. Pain stayed at a consistent low throb. He remembered twisting the previous time he woke up and knew he had to avoid doing that again.

Taking a long breath in, he slowly tried to rise his torso to a seated position.

"Oh god…" he moaned.

"You're such an idiot." Leah stood leaning against the doorframe as she watched Jake try to get himself up.

"You could've said you were there. Jeez…"

"And miss seeing you torture yourself for no reason. No way!"

"And you're so annoying."

Leah grinned. No one else would take it as a compliment, but then again Leah wasn't like other people. With her arms crossed over her chest, he was going to have to ask for her help to receive it.

Jake took another slow breath. "Would you help me figure out if I can walk?"

"Can I take a picture first if you fall over?" Leah smirked.

"No, I'm naked."

"Right, like that's the real reason." She rolled her eyes.

"Shut up, Leah, and get over here."

She sauntered over to him and put her arm around his back. Jake placed his arm across her shoulders and leaned into her as he stood up. His head fell forward as his torso inflamed from the inside out. Leah used her strength to keep him upright and kept her usual snarky comments to herself. What did that mean? Was Leah being a civilized person? Who knew?

Once standing, Jake found he could walk without too much discomfort. After a trip to the bathroom and the bedroom for some shorts, they then went towards the kitchen. Along the way, Jake saw Emily on the couch, with a book in her lap and headphones over her ears. Seeing her made him grin.

Leah made a gagging sound. "You are so damn sappy."

Jake kept his grin. "I know."

"Ugh… I'm out." Leah grimaced. "Em, your guy's up!" She yelled.

"Yay! How is he?" Jake heard the book flap closed and the pitter-patter of dainty feet moving quickly towards him. Emily stood in front of him, her hand touching his chest slowly.

"I'm awesome. I have you!" Jake placed his hands on her hips and brought her closer so their lips met. Leaning against the kitchen counter, he ignored the mild ache across his ribs as his mouth danced with Emily's. Everything felt perfect and Jake never wanted to move unless it was to bring her body closer to his.

His stomach had another plan and grumbled in protest.

Emily giggled. "I can fix that."

"I'd rather just make out."

"The more you eat, the faster you heal, and then… we can really, really be together." Emily smirked as her cheeks reddened.

"I like the way you think."

Emily unloaded the refrigerator and Jake consumed the contents equally fast. His stomach rumbled in protest and threatened to explode if he put another crumb down his throat. He wanted to heal more than he had wanted anything else in his life.

"Okay… stop…" he finally groaned and accepted the fact that he couldn't eat anything more.

"I've seen many bottomless pits, but jeez Jake, you are clearly the winner." Emily returned the uneaten ingredients to the refrigerator.

Jake smiled, feeling grateful to have Emily in his life. The glow on her cheeks told him she felt happy and content. Her gentle hand on his shoulder made him feel loved in a way no one else could. She had every reason to pick someone else, but she didn't. Jake didn't want to hide their relationship anymore, but how could he explain the unexplainable?

Maybe, he could start with his family. The thought of telling his father scared him more than chasing vampires. An icy chill slithered down his back. Regardless, it needed to be done.

Cautiously, Jake stood from the table. He could feel Emily's gaze on him as he moved one foot and then the other. In the hour it took to fill his belly, he could feel his muscles strengthen and the pain weaken.

Taking a moment to listen, he heard Seth and Leah in the other room. He felt ready to leave, but Leah wanted her brother to wait for Sue to return before going home. It made him wonder where their mother and his father were. He didn't hear anyone else in the house.

"Jake, are you alright?" Emily asked.

He nodded. "Where's my dad?"

"Him and Sue were called to an emergency Council meeting. They've been gone for hours..."

The blood drained from Jake's face as his pulse leaped into over-time. Sam. He told the Council about Emily and Jake. The opportunity to tell his father had come and gone. Now, what would he do?

"We have to go! Now!" Jake took hold of Emily's hand and marched to the door.


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

The trek to Sue's house was filled with curses as Jake tried to move as quickly as his wounded body allowed. Next to him, Emily repeated 'oh my god' like it was a mantra, as Jake explained what Sam told him about the Council ostracizing Jake from the tribe.

It made sense. No one took imprinting lightly and to steal another wolf's soul mate had to have consequences.

As they approached the two story house, angry voices could be heard inside. Sam's and his father's were the only two Jake could distinguish, but a third fought for attention. On the wide-open front porch stood Paul and Jared. The glare on Paul's face was nothing new, the one of Jared's indicated it was personal. As the only other imprinted wolf, the thought of not being picked could rattle him to the core.

The tape across Jake's ribs pulled against his skin with each step. Pausing to catch his breath, he allowed some of his weight to rest against Emily, who kept her arm around his waist.

"I need to go inside," Jake said.

"It's a closed meeting." Paul didn't budge.

"Then why are you here?" Jake asked.

"To make sure it stays that way," Jared answered.

Arms crossed over their chests and their feet remained clamped in place. Healthy Jake could have fought his way in, but one poke to the chest was all it would take to send him to his knees. He didn't know what to do.

"Move!" Emily demanded. "My fate was already decided once by a pack of old men, it will not be done again. Either get out of the way, or I'll scream from the rooftops until every neighbor is awake." She planted her hand on her hip, her other arm still around Jake's waist.

Paul and Jared glanced at each other with indecision. Emily was the wild card no one knew what to do with. If the imprintee really did dictate the relationship, then she should be present while her fate was decided.

"You may go. But Jake stays," Jared said.

"No! He's with me."

Without another word, Emily and Jake marched inside. It took everything the injured man had to not grimace as the weight of each step vibrated throughout his body. Once inside, he leaned his palm against entry table.

"Give me a sec," he said through clinched teeth.

"Just stay here," she whispered and leaned up on her toes to kiss his cheek.

"Where are you going?"

"To make my choice known." Emily hugged him.

"You're not alone. I made this bed too, and now we are both going to lie in it."

Emily's scared lips were met with Jake's as he kissed her. The voices in the nearby room drowned out as faith, hope, and greatest of all love came together.

Jake loved Emily, not because fate told him who to love, but with all his heart and soul. He had a choice, and he chose her and believed Emily loved him the same.

Her chest heaved against his when their lips finally broke apart.

"I need you to keep me close and don't let go. No matter what," Emily whispered.

"I promise," Jake said

With his arm around her waist, he took another step forward. The hallway curved to the right and then quickly opened into the living room. Old Quil, Sue, and Billy huddled close together with Sam seated across from them on the couch.

If Emily felt nervous, she didn't show it.

Jake regretted the frown on his father's face. No man should have to decide the fate of his only son. Sam glared at the floor until he heard Jacob and Emily approach. If it was possible to smile and sneer at the same time, Sam had mastered the ability.

Emily leaned closer to Jake. What did she feel when she looked into the face of her imprinter? Did the invisible cable which bound them together also pull her physically towards him?

"We have reached a decision," Sue said, her voice trembled. She looked at Sam and noticed his attention on Jake and Emily.

A gasp escaped Sue's lips as several tears sprung from her eyes. Moments later Old Quil and Billy's eyes also found the accused couple.

"Let me speak," Jake said.

"There is nothing for you to say!" Sam taunted. "You sealed your fate and there's nothing you can do about it now."

"What about mine?" Emily challenged. "Fate didn't ask me if I wanted to lose my best friend and cousin! Fate didn't ask before it turned me into this monster." Her scarred hand tucked her hair behind her ear. "Fate didn't ask me if I wanted Sam! None of you did either. You just assumed that since it was what fate decided then of course we should all go along with it."

"You deserve to have your say." Sue smiled at her niece.

"Jacob," Billy said, his eye narrowed and lips remained in a frown. It didn't take a genius to assume he had tried to defend his son. Through the wolf connection Sam could easily have refutable evidence, but he could also be lying. Jake and Emily together caused the uncertainty in his father's eyes to dissolve into unwavering belief. "Why, son?"

"Sometimes why isn't the right question," Jake replied. "I have fallen in love with my former alpha's imprint—"

"That is all we need to know." Old Quil slapped his hand on the wooden coffee table. "That cannot be accepted. He must go!"

Billy opened his mouth and then clamped it shut. His hands shook on the armrest of his chair.

"This is not his fault!" Emily interjected.

"Bullshit!" Sam argued. "He only pursued you because he was angry at me because I kept him from Bella. You were nothing to him before that." His angry eyes bore into his imprint.

Emily's mouth gaped open.

"That explains a lot…" Billy mumbled under his breath.

Emily's eyes silently pleaded with Jake for it to not be true.

His tongue felt glued to the roof of his mouth. It took several breaths and a sneer from Sam for the true alpha to find his voice.

"It's not true, now."

Emily covered her face with her hands and her shoulders shook. Jake hated he had made her cry and wished he could have had a different start to their story, but he couldn't change the past. He kept his arm around her waist.

"Yes, I wanted to hurt Sam," Jake said. "There is a small part of me that feels bad for him, because Emily is the most amazing person I've ever met. My motive then and now are completely different. A stupid immature decision, turned out to be the best thing I've ever done."

With his hand on her hip, Jake carefully knelt in front of her. Pain shot up his torso and he grimaced. He took several labored breaths.

"Em, look at me."

She shook her head.

Jake continued. "It took a rebellious nudge to see this amazing woman as someone more than Sam's imprint. And while none of you, Sam included, asked her what she wanted, I did. She never chose Sam because she wanted him, but because she felt like he scarred her so badly that no one else would want her! She deserves to have options and now she does."

All eyes turned to Sam's imprint. When Jake walked over to the Council Meeting, he felt confident Emily would support him no matter what. She couldn't understand Jake's urgency until he told her Sam could get him thrown out of the tribe for his relationship with her. Emily apparently had a temper which rivaled her cousin's.

"No! She doesn't!" Old Quil yelled.

"Excuse me? Wait a minute," Sue said. "Of course she does. And technically so does Sam."

"No, he doesn't. That was our first hour of debate," Billy interjected.

"Okay, fine. But Emily does," Sue insisted.

Billy nodded in agreement.

Old Quil and Sam both sighed.

Jake shifted his weight nervously. Their relationship fell on Emily's shoulders and there wasn't anything more he could do. He needed to trust her. Keeping his hand on her hip, he leaned into her to rise to his feet.

She watched Jake. Her eyes looked confident. Whatever she had decided, it appeared that she came to the decision easily.

"Thank you, Aunt Sue." She let go of Jake. "For me, this is not Sam vs. Jake. I know it looks that way, and probably feels that way, but it isn't."

She came closer to Sam and took his hand. Jake's heart leaped in his wounded chest. Had he had the strength he would have pulled her away. She told him to not let her go no matter what, but there would be no hope for him, if in front of the Council, she chose Sam.

"Em…" Jake whispered, barely having a voice.

Billy glared at his son, giving him a look the boy had seen many times indicating he needed to shut the hell up.

"It's okay," Emily said. She gave Jake a smile and then addressed the Council. "Sam is a good man and our connection is real. But it isn't what I want. Can't you see that our imprinting wasn't for the better. He was in love with Leah before me. You know how happy they were and with Leah being a wolf there is no reason for them to not be together."

"There _is_ a reason, it's called imprinting!" Old Quil insisted.

"Quil, you know damn well that we don't really know why a wolf imprints," Billy said. "Even if we did, if the imprintee does not accept the imprinter, then that's the end of it.

"Is that what you want?" Sue asked Emily.

"Yes, I want to be free. I want that for Sam, too. Let him be with who his heart decided on and that's not me." Emily let go of Sam's hand and stepped away from him.

"Wait!" Sam demanded. "Jacob can't just steal my imprint and get away with it! There has to be consequences." He glared.

"I agree." Old Quil nodded.

"What about trying to kill your fellow wolf?" Jake asked. "Shouldn't there be consequences for that?"

"What are you talking about?" Sue asked.

Emily looked up at Jake and everyone in the room did the same.

"You made the stupid decision to use your body as a weapon." Billy frowned.

"Yes, because he cut me off!" Jake pointed at his former alpha. "As you can imagine, Sam and I have had issues, but I thought we were united in our pursuit of the red-headed leech. Leah stayed with Seth, and Embry and I ran ahead to close in on the leech. As we approached, Sam ordered Paul and Jared to back off and cut off communication with me. She either would have escaped again, or killed me."

"You stole Leah from me!" Sam growled.

"That's your defense?" Emily lunged towards him, seconds later her palm slapped Sam across the cheek. The resounding smack was echoed by Sue's gasp. "You are not worthy of the title alpha, and you never were!"

"Woman! Don't you—" Sam roared and his shoulders shook.

Jake instantly stepped between them. "Touch her and your fate is sealed." He glared.

"What are you going to do about it?" Sam taunted. "You can hardly walk."

"And who's fault is that..." Jake reminded him.

"I agree you are no alpha," Billy said to Sam, his voice deep with authority.

Old Quil's arms crossed over his chest. Jake guessed he had been Sam's strongest supporter and indecision clearly implanted itself on the old man's face.

"We take the title, Protectors, seriously," Sue added. "Not only for the tribe, but for each other."

Emily placed her arm around Jake's waist. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth remained clamped shut, but twitched like she held back what she wanted to say. Her hand twitched. Lifting it slowly, Jake saw redness over her palm. Slapping a werewolf didn't just hurt him.

Jake brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. Emily grinned at him and touched his cheek intimately. He would never again apologize for loving her. It wasn't his job to make people understand. Closing his eyes, his forehead rested against hers.

"I love you," Emily whispered.

"Love you, too." Jake hugged her close, ignoring the pain to his torso it caused.

Sam growled.

"I believe she has made her choice," Sue said. "As the Council, we respect it and will document it for future generations. Emily, we assumed you and Sam were for the best without really asking you, and for that we apologize."

"Thank you." Emily smiled at her aunt and leaned her head on Jake's shoulder.

"As for your attempt on Jacob's life," Billy said, "that cannot be accepted."

"Don't you think you might be a little biased?" Sam glared.

"Well, I am not." Old Quil stood. "We understand the pack has divided. Embry confirmed that it was unintentional, therefore Jacob is not at fault. We will be ordering the pack to reunite. Each wolf will have the option to follow the true alpha or to resign and no longer phase."

"I will never follow him!" Sam declared.

"That is your choice, but you are no longer alpha. It will go to my son," Billy said.

Jake imagined his father experienced a whirlwind of emotions during the lengthy Council meeting, but ultimately saw honor in his father's eyes. He would make his family lineage proud.

Without another word, Sam stormed outside the house. Jake heard yelling outside and then an angry howl.


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Four days later and Jake could move normally. His injuries appeared perfectly healed, but he had yet to phase again. He drove his Rabbit as far off the beaten path as it could go and then walked another couple miles, holding Emily's hand.

After the Council meeting, her and Sue went to Sam's house and gathered her belongings. Seth, mostly healed, moved back to his house and Emily found a new home in Jake's sisters' room. Billy had reservations about her living with them, but she quickly won him over.

Jake took a deep breath and released it slowly. Emily did the same.

"Are you sure you want to be here?" Jake asked.

"No, I'm not," she answered honestly

Jake nodded.

The last time Emily saw one of the wolves it almost killed her.

Trees surrounded them from all angles. One grand oak fell years ago and rested before them. Jacob removed his clothes and left them on the large round trunk.

"You don't have to watch," he told her.

"I want to." Emily sat on the fallen log and brought her knees up to her chest. Her hand shook, and she clutched her fingers into a fist.

Jacob appreciated the trust she placed in him. Taking four long steps back, he made sure to have plenty of space before phasing into his majestic wolf. His bones shifted properly and everything felt perfect.

The birds sang and squirrels scampered about and sounded amplified to his wolf ears. Emily's chest rose and fell rapidly, and her arms clung tightly to her legs. Despite being scared, she didn't scream.

Jake crouched down. Feeling the grass on his belly, he approached her slowly.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked, her voice shaking.

Jake nodded.

"Oh good!" She released a deep breath.

Jacob sat, his head tilted to the side. He wanted to know how she felt. They stared at each other silently.

"You're beautiful," Emily said. She smiled, left the fallen tree, and stepped closer to him.

Jake rolled his eyes and smiled, his tongue dangling out of his mouth.

Emily giggled. Her hand reached out towards him, slowly connecting with his soft fur.

Jake nuzzled her hand, his chest rumbling.

"Do you like that?"

Jake nodded.

Her hand pet him, becoming more confident with each stroke.

Jake couldn't be happier.

Emily had given up her imprint for him, but this moment proved without any doubt how much she loved him.

He loved her as well, with all his soul and strength. Wanting to tell her himself, Jake shifted back to his human form.

Emily gasped softly, her hand on Jake's bare back.

"I love you so much, Em." He pulled her close and kissed her.

"Love you, too."

Their tongues met and danced together as they clung to one another.

* * *

It was time for the wolves to decide. Either they accepted Jake as their alpha or would no longer shift into their wolf form. For Embry and Leah, they had already made their decision to join Jake's pack. Sam would no longer be phasing.

As usual Emily made enough food for an army along with Bella's help. Jake tried to assist, but both women kept shooing him out of the kitchen. He always thought Bella and Emily would get along well and he was right. Having his best friend and girlfriend get along felt great.

Girlfriend. What a wonderful thing to call Emily. He never dreamed he would be so lucky or could feel so completely in love.

With a plate piled high of food, Jake sat on his living room floor next to Embry and Bella. He wanted Emily to join him, but she promised she'd already eaten and wanted to remain in the kitchen. She would join him once she finished cleaning up.

The remaining wolves met at Jake's house to make their decision.

Billy, Sue, and Old Quil also gathered to make the wolf member's decision official.

Looking around the room, though it was common for everyone to have their mouths full, it wasn't so much for the room to be silent. He needed to get this meeting over as quickly as possible.

Seth and Leah whispered quietly to each other. Of the undecided wolves, Jake felt most likely Seth would join him. Paul and Jared were both wild cards.

Who should go first?

"Paul," Jake said, "what do you want to do?"

"You got balls, Jake, going after another imprint." Paul smirked. "I'm not ready to give up the claws. I'll join you."

"Alright," Jake said.

"I won't," declared Jared.

"Join Jacob or quit?" Old Quil clarified.

"Join Jake. There should be consequences for what he did," Jared added.

"It wasn't all him," Emily defended.

"That isn't the point." Jared glared at Emily.

Billy nodded. "The Council respects your decision Jared. With the understanding that if you are needed, you are a Protector first and foremost."

Jared nodded.

"What about you, Seth?" Old Quil asked.

Seth took a drink of his soda to clear his throat. "I'd like to join Jake." He sighed. "I don't approve of how Emily and Jake started, but they are both happier. And that's good." He smiled.

Emily smiled at her young cousin and sat next to Jake.

Jared glared at them.

Jake appreciate the support of Seth. When he thought about Paul and Jared, their response made sense. Paul was good friends with Sam, but everyone knew he didn't have his temper under control well enough to be able to stop even if he wanted to. Jared already had Kim and as a fellow imprinted wolf, his loyalty would be with Sam.

"Thank you all for coming," Billy said. He rolled to the center of the room, his voice leaving no doubt his authority among the Council and Tribe as a whole. "We can consider this meeting adjourned."

"Wait!" Leah stood.

"What now?" Paul rolled his eyes.

Jake's eyes met Emily's, she shrugged and leaned into his side.

The two cousins had made their peace while they were both at Jake's house when the two wolves were injured. Hurt feelings don't go away overnight and they needed time to rebuild their sisterly bond, but it seemed hopeful that it would happen, eventually. Neither wanted to lose the other.

"What is it, Leah?" Sue asked.

"I want to quit," Leah answered.

"You're siding with Sam?" Jake questioned, frowning at her. "What the hell?"

Despite their constant bickering, he considered Leah to be his friend and assumed she would think the same for him. She already joined his team, so it seemed logical that she would stay with Jacob.

"No! I'm not." Leah stepped closer to Jake, and he stood, them meeting in the middle of the room.

Billy rolled out of the way.

Leah continued. "This isn't about Sam and you. I thought I had already proved that I choose you over him." Her eyes narrowed, and she took a deep breath to calm her anger. "This is about me. I don't want to be the only girl in a boys-only club. I don't want to be the freak among freaks. I don't want to be pitied for my nonexistent love life. I don't want a tail and claws. I want to get out of here and live a normal life."

Jacob stood next to Leah and smiled at her. He understood her struggle as best as anyone could. "I accept your decision."

Leah rolled her eyes. "Don't get all sappy, Jake."

"I can if I want to." He grinned and pulled her into one of his famous bone crushing hugs.

"Stop, stop, stop!" Leah complained, but still found herself hugging him back.

Jake laughed, and the sound echoed from those around them.

Despite the strain that Emily and Jake being together caused, they all mostly remained a family. A largely dysfunctional group, but still loyal to the core.

Once Jake let go of Leah, she punched him in the shoulder.

"That's the she-wolf, the rest of us know," Embry said.

"Yeah, she's one of a kind." Jake smiled at his friend.

Embry's fingers twitched at his side and he swallowed several times. Bella whispered in Embry's hear, but Jake couldn't make out the words.

"What is it?" Jake asked.

Embry nodded towards the door and Jake followed him. If this was about the pack, then they should probably stay inside. Jake remained on the front porch as Embry hopped off the side of the ramp.

"Should my dad be out here?" Jake asked.

"No, it's nothing like that."

Jake waited.

Embry paced the length of the porch, taking a deep breath. Jake tried to think of anything his friend would be so nervous about. If it wasn't pack related than what?

"Em? Come on…"

"I don't think you are going to care, I mean you really shouldn't, but I wanted you to hear it from me," Embry stammered.

"Okay?"

"I asked Bella out, and she agreed." Embry's cheeks reddened slightly.

He's one of the shyest guys Jake had ever known, especially when it came to girls. Back when Jake crushed on Bella he wanted to be more than her best friend, but those feelings had disappeared. Embry would be great for her.

"Good for you." Jake smiled at his friend.

"You sure?"

"Absolutely. I'm a little surprised, but more from Bella than you."

"We've been hanging out, like when I would patrol her house. Then we left her scent after Harry's funeral, and while waiting for you to wake up and get better. It just kinda happened. You know."

"Thanks for talking to me. Bella never thought of me as anything more than a friend and now I think of her as the same. If imprinting hadn't gotten in the way, then I think Emily and I would have found each other, eventually."

"I agree," Emily said and let the screen door close behind her.

Embry grinned and leaped up the ramp going back inside, Jake assumed to talk to Bella.

Jake looked behind him. "Eavesdropping, huh?" He smirked and stepped closer to his girlfriend, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Yes. Can't really blame me." Emily beamed at him.

"Oh really? And why is that?" Jake pulled her close so her chest pressed against his.

"No reason." She giggled and brought his mouth to hers.

Jake kissed her passionately.

Emily was Sam's imprint, but she proved it didn't have to mean she was his. She had the choice and because of that, everything had changed.

THE END

* * *

Thank you readers! I have loved hearing your responses to this story, it seems different than most other stories and I hope this ending is satisfactory. Even with completed stories, I hope more comments will continue to come. Though this stories is very different than my other work, I hope you'll take the time to check out my website at JJLiniger dot com. I have a thriller, Poisoned, I released this month.


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